How to Raise a Child
by ReptileGirl497
Summary: Third installment of the How to Raise a Dragon series. Raising a child isn't always easy, especially if he is nervous about getting out into the world and discovering new things.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

**It's here! And I honestly don't know how long this series will go! This will start a few months where we left off, and progress over the years slowly.**

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_Raising a child isn't always easy. At least that's what I've heard._

_And I'm sure that not even half of the Vikings in our village have as many kids as we do. If you count the Red Death that we adopted after he hatched, we have four kids._

_There's Mortem, the Red Death, Draco and Camicazi, the twins, and finally, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Fourth._

_Hic for short._

_But, like I mentioned before, raising a child isn't always easy._

_Especially if the Red Death that you adopted, and his Bewilderbeast mate, are both pregnant._

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It was a week before Snoggletog, and the entire village was bustling. There was still time to get ready, but they liked to get it done a week early.

Mortem and Fera were in the plaza, their abdomens bloated, making them nearly twice as big as they really were. They had both just reached their full size, and were now the new Dragon King and Queen.

Draco and Camicazi were in the plaza with Astrid, who was carrying Hic. The twins had celebrated the holiday before, but they wanted this one to be extra-special. Draco spent more time with his Night Fury, Jet, while Camicazi practiced with her axe. She still liked to train with Eclipse, though. Heather was doing what she could to help hang up the Snoggletog decorations along with Torch and his family.

Camicazi was over by the Snoggletog tree, testing out her axe. Eclipse watched from a distance, not wanting to get cut. Camicazi was slashing away at anything she could find that wasn't alive. Anything she saw, the axe touched. Hiccup had told her often enough that she was a lot like her mother, and there was no doubt in his words. Draco was with Jet, feeding him some fish. He tossed his dragon a cod, and Jet backed up, snarling. Draco picked up the cod and held it out to his dragon, who screeched, backing up further. Panicking, Draco tossed the cod away and took out a salmon instead. Jet gobbled it up without hesitation.

"_Another cod?_" Eclipse asked her brother. Jet shook his head. "_I keep telling Mortem to tell them that I'm allergic, but he seems to keep forgetting._" Junior seemed to approach from nowhere, and he sat down next to Jet. "_So, you really are allergic to cod?_" he asked. Jet sighed. "_I can't eat it, my throat swells._" Junior nodded in understanding.

It was then that Astrid arrived with Hic in her arms. She nearly bumped into Camicazi, who was still trying out her axe. "Camicazi, you have to be a little more careful," she said, "You could hurt someone." Camicazi put her axe down and turned to face her mother. "I just want to be a tough warrior like you," she said. Astrid smiled, shook her head, and knelt down next to her daughter. "I only act tough when I have to," she said gently, "It's fine that you want to be tough like me, but for now, you have to take it easy. You're still pretty young, you know." Camicazi understood what she meant, and nodded. Then, without warning, she hugged her mom tightly. Astrid smiled, hugging her daughter back with her free arm.

Camicazi snuggled further into her mother's embrace. "I love you, Mom." Astrid's smile widened. Whenever it came to this sort of thing, Camicazi acted a lot like her father. "I love you too." And she could tell that Camicazi already knew that.

Hic chose that particular moment to start fussing. Astrid let go of her daughter, and tried to get her son to calm down. Nearby, Junior heard the little boy fussing, and bounded over to them. He nuzzled the little boy, and he suddenly stopped crying. He looked up at the black dragon, his eyes wide. Junior nuzzled the boy again, a little more gentle than before. Astrid smiled at the dragon, and patted him on the head. There was a high-pitched shriek from above, and Astrid and Junior looked up to see Toothless flying above them with Hiccup on his back.

The two friends landed in the middle of the plaza. Astrid smiled and stood up. "You're back early," she said. Hiccup shrugged. "I wanted to make it back before the Breeding Migration," he said with a smile.

Hic started to fuss again, and Hiccup walked over and took his son in his arms. "It's okay," he said gently, "It's okay. It's okay, Daddy's here. Daddy's here." Hic calmed down at the sound of his voice, and then he went to sleep. Astrid laughed. "It's funny," she said, "He's seen you for only a couple months and he stops crying when you talk to him." Hiccup looked at her with guilt in his eyes. "If I had known about what was going on while I was gone, I could have tried to get back sooner, you know." Astrid shook her head. "It's not your fault," she said, "I should have let you know when I had the chance. But all that matters is that you came back." Hiccup smiled at her. "Of course I did," he said, "I'd never leave my family." Astrid smiled back at him.

At that moment, there was a loud roar, and everyone looked up to see a huge flock of dragons flying overhead. Mortem and Fera both picked up their heads at the sound of the dragons. This time, it was their turn to join them. Many of the new full-grown dragons, some of which were the dragons that hatched three years ago, were already taking off and joining the flock. Mortem rose to his feet, and flapped his huge wings, taking to the skies and joining the others. No sooner after he took off, Fera soon joined him. Her wings had grown stronger from all the swimming she had done, and was now able to fly, like Mortem. As the two gargantuan dragons joined the flock, Mortem looked back to see his parents watching him leave. He knew that they understood why he was doing this, but he also knew that they were going to miss him as much as he was going to miss them. He looked away, and then he and Fera continued to lead the flock of dragons off where they were told New Birth Island was. Fera took another look back at the place that had become her home before joining her mate.

Toothless, Starlight, Stormfly, Torch, and Violet watched them leave for a minute before the female Night Fury noticed the entire flock of Night Furies following the other dragons. She realized that some of the other litters of children that she had with Toothless were sitting on nearby houses, watching them leave. Dragons almost always mated more than once, and would end up having many litters of dragonets. While Jet, Eclipse, and Junior preferred to stay with their parents, the younger litters liked being with the other Night Furies. They still came to visit, though. Starlight, Stormfly, and Violet spread their wings and followed the other dragons, while Torch helped Toothless get on his back. The Typhoomerang then took off with the Night Fury on his back. Toothless looked back at Hiccup before he lay down on the Typhoomerang's back, falling asleep.

Jet, Eclipse, and Junior watched their parents leave, knowing that one day, they would be old enough to join them. The was a swooping noise, and they turned to see their youngest brother, Starflight, nearby. Starflight had gotten his name by the white star-like shapes that decorated the underside of his wings. Starflight was soon joined by their remaining siblings, Nightwing, Midnight, Negro, and Fury. Negro and Fury were twins, and so were Nightwing and Midnight. Starflight, however, was the only one of his litter. All of the Night Fury dragonets watched as the flock of dragons disappeared from sight.

Camicazi and Draco joined their parents and Hic, watching their brother and his mate leave them.

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**I know, it could be better, but I wanted to get it started as quickly as I could. I don't want to keep you all waiting. Review, follow, or favorite.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

**Sorry if I took so long, I have other stories that I have been trying to keep track of. But, it's not as hard as I thought it would be, since I'm doing a pretty decent job keeping track of them.**

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It didn't take long for everyone to get over the fact that the dragons had left for the breeding season. They all knew that the dragons would be back for the holidays. But the Haddocks' focus was mainly on their youngest son. This would be his very first Snoggletog, and they wanted it to be special.

Hic hadn't changed much over the past few months. He was a bit bigger than he had been, but not by much. The blond streaks in his hair were more visible, giving him a visual difference from his father (besides the obvious). He was still too young to be walking, however, and he still couldn't talk yet. But that didn't bother his parents. They loved him just the same.

Draco and Camicazi, however, had matured quite a bit. They both had obtained a lot of knowledge in training dragons, and Camicazi almost never left the house without her axe. She was careful with it, like Astrid had told her to, and she often practiced out in the clearing where Astrid practiced with her own axe. But, like Astrid had suggested, Camicazi had decided to take it easy for a while. She wanted to be a Valkyrie like her mother, but she didn't want to hurt anyone, especially one of her family members. She had to learn when she had to be tough, and why. Draco, on the other hand, was a dragon enthusiast. It was always dragons this, dragons that, dragons EVERYTHING. Camicazi often complained about his constant lectures on dragons. She even asked her parents now and then if Draco had been adopted. Either way, however, Draco was there to stay, no matter how much Camicazi complained.

With Mortem and Fera gone, Camicazi and Draco seemed to have nothing else to do but what they did best. For Draco, that was filling the Dragon Manuel, (mostly on the sections about the Red Death and Bewilderbeast) and for Camicazi, it was practicing with weapons. Junior and his siblings often practiced their flying skills, as well as aiming with their plasma blasts. A Night Fury's accuracy didn't always come naturally. Especially when it came to Starflight. Being the youngest by far, he had the most trouble with his fire. He was told by his parents that he was a good dragon, and that he was just a late bloomer. He often spent more time with Junior than any of his other siblings, due to the fact that they were very much alike. They were both smaller than usual, and they had the same interests, as well as similar opinions. They often met up in Raven Point, enjoying the view, and letting their thoughts wander.

As for Hic, he got most of the attention from everyone else. The dragons were used to it, since it was the same when Draco and Camicazi were infants. But for the twins, it was new. They weren't used to someone else being the center of attention, despite countless discussions with their parents about what it would be like to have a younger sibling.

Hic was taking a nap when Hiccup realized how much Astrid had needed him while he was gone. With raising twins, and having another child on the way, it had to be really tough. If only he could have been there for her...

Astrid noticed that Hiccup was sitting on their bed, deep in thought, and wondered if something was wrong. "Are you okay?" she asked him. Hiccup said nothing, he only shrugged. Astrid sighed. "If there's something that's bothering you, you can tell me what it is, Hiccup." There was no response at first, but then Hiccup sighed. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you when you needed me," he said quietly, "I never wanted to hurt you in any way." Astrid shook her head. "You never hurt me, Hiccup, and I know that you never meant to." She sat down next to him. "And you were there for me, even if I didn't realize it at first." She took off the bracelet that she still wore around her wrist. She handed it to him, and he looked at it. "You were always there with me," Astrid said. Hiccup looked up at her and smiled. He gave her the bracelet, and she put it back on her wrist. "I thought you'd figure it out," Hiccup said.

Astrid's eyes widened in surprise. She realized what he had meant when he promised that he would be there for her when she needed him. "Then why did you apologize?" she asked. Hiccup shrugged. "I just wanted to see if you figured it out yet," he said. Astrid frowned and punched him in the arm. Hiccup rubbed the spot where she had punched him. "You know that still hurts, right?" he asked. "I know," Astrid said. She then grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "But this doesn't." She leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Hiccup let go of his arm and kissed her back, taking her hand in his own. He could never get tired of her kisses.

They pulled away just as Heather passed their room. She was going to check on Hic, when she noticed her two friends comforting each other. She continued to Hic's room, pretending that she didn't notice what had been going on.

"Heather?"

Hearing her name, Heather froze. She turned to see Astrid standing in the doorway to her room. Heather sighed. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything," she said, "I was just going to..." "You really don't have to apologize," Astrid said, cutting her off, "We both know that you didn't mean it." "You mean you actually saw me?" Heather asked. Astrid shrugged. "At least you weren't trying to steal the Book of Dragons again." "Speaking of which," Heather said, "I'm sorry that I lied to you guys. If I had told you the truth, you could have helped me." Astrid walked up to her friend and put a hand on her shoulder. "We helped each other," she said, "That's all the matters, right?" Heather nodded. "I still can't believe that you put your life on the line for us," she said. Astrid smiled. "That's what friends do."

"But not just friends, right?"

Both girls turned to see Hiccup standing an arm's length away from Astrid. He smiled. "We all look out for each other. That's what you do in a family."

There was a sound of the front door opening, and the voices of Draco and Camicazi filled the house.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I don't want to hear any more lectures?!"

"But think about it, there could be things about Mortem and Fera that we don't already know!"

"You know, you're really starting to sound like Uncle Fishlegs."

"How so?"

"Because you won't shut up!"

There was silence for a few seconds before...

"MOM! DAD!"

Hiccup sighed. "I'll take care of it," he muttered, before he headed down the hallway and to the front door. Draco came running to his dad. "Camicazi said that I won't shut up!" Camicazi scoffed. "It's true, you won't stop talking about dragons! Even when I don't want to hear about it!" Hiccup sighed, and knelt down. "Camicazi, don't yell at your brother. Draco, if your sister doesn't want to hear one of your lectures, then..." "Don't give them," Draco said, "I know." Hiccup nodded. "Exactly. Not everything has to be about dragons." "Then what's the reason why you named me Draco?" Hiccup sighed. "We named you Draco because we knew that if we had a son, he would grow up to love dragons. But that doesn't mean that's all you should ever think about." "I don't think about dragons all the time," Draco protested, "I just want to learn more about them. You're always saying that there's some things we still don't know about dragons, and I thought that I could help you with those things." Hiccup put his hand on Draco's shoulder. "If you want to learn more about dragons, then the best thing you can do is read the Dragon Manuel. If I ever find a new dragon, or something new about a known dragon, I promise that I'll let you help me, okay?" Draco thought for a minute before nodding.

Camicazi had been watching, and she realized that she hadn't treated Draco very nicely. She hung her head and approached her brother. Draco turned to see her walking over to him. Camicazi lifted her head and looked at her brother. "I'm sorry," she said, "About what I said before." Draco gave her a small smile. "That's okay," he said, "I should have known that my lectures were bothering you." "What kind of lectures do you give your sister?" Hiccup asked. Draco said nothing, but Camicazi did. "He usually tells me about Night Furies, Deadly Nadders, the Red Death, and the Bewilderbeast. Those are the only sections of the book he's read so far." "But I'll read more," Draco said quickly, "I promise!" "You don't have to promise anything, Draco," Hiccup said gently, "And your sister doesn't have to either." Draco smiled before hugging his dad tightly. Camicazi soon did the same. Hiccup smiled as he hugged them back. "We love you, Dad," Draco said. Camicazi nodded. "I love you too," Hiccup said, "Both of you." It wasn't long before all three pulled out of the embrace. "Why don't you guys go and play with the Night Furies," Hiccup suggested. The twins nodded before bolting out the door.

Hiccup sighed, and got up. He made his way toward his room to lay down, when he noticed something in Hic's room. Astrid was in there, holding their son in her arms. The little boy was awake, but calm. Hiccup stayed quiet and watched as Astrid leaned down and kissed Hic's forehead. "I love you," she said softly.

Hiccup smiled as he watched. Astrid then looked up and noticed him standing there. She stood up and walked over to him. Hic stayed quiet, but when he noticed his dad, he started to fuss. Hiccup's eyes widened at what his son was doing. Astrid handed their son to him, and Hic stopped fussing. Astrid smiled. "I guess he just wanted his daddy," she said. Hiccup smiled before kissing her forehead.

"I love you, Astrid."

Astrid looked up at him, her smile widening.

"I love you too, Hiccup."

They embraced, with Hic snuggled in the middle.

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**I hope you guys like it. The next chapter will focus on what Mortem and the other dragons are doing on New Birth Island. Review, follow, or favorite.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

**New baby dragons are gonna hatch!**

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It took a while, but Mortem and Fera led all the other dragons to New Birth Island. Maybe it was a coincidence, but Mortem noticed that he and Fera were having trouble flying. Mortem even felt a bit heavier than normal...

The Dragon King and Queen both took their spots by the giant pool in the middle of the island. The other dragons all rested on the rocky cliffs. Among them were Toothless and Starlight. The minute that Mortem had gotten comfortable, he felt something strange happen in his abdomen. It was as though something was there that shouldn't be. Following his instincts, Mortem tried to push the object out. Fera noticed him, and in no time, she was witnessing the same feeling. She knew instinctively what was going on, and pushed. Mortem kept pushing the object out, and soon realized what it was. Within a few minutes, a large grey egg was resting on the rocks. Fera also had an egg, which was white and smooth. Both dragons were very happy.

But Mortem suddenly felt the strange feeling once again. But that was impossible. He already had an egg. Unless...Mortem's eyes widened.

There was another egg.

Nervously, he pushed, and soon there was another egg next to the first one.

All the dragons that were watching were frozen in shock. They didn't remember a Red Death laying twins before, and yet, the new Dragon King had just laid two eggs instead of one. Some other dragons noticed this, and soon the word had spread across the whole island. Dragons everywhere were pushing and shoving, trying to get a good look at the eggs of both Mortem and Fera. Mortem started to worry. It had taken him months to hatch from his egg, would it be the same for his offspring? He remembered Starlight telling him that dragon eggs hatched faster with heat and comfort from their mothers protection. It was possible that without his mother, it had taken Mortem longer to hatch than necessary.

Either that, or he was a late bloomer.

But all that mattered now was that his and Fera's children would survive long enough to make it home.

* * *

It had been three days, and many of the dragons' eggs had hatched. Except for Mortem's and Fera's.

Toothless and Starlight had a new daughter, whom they had named Echo, and she was a very shy dragon. Especially when it came to the big dragons.

Mortem kept his eggs close, trying to help them in any way he could. He kept them warm when they seemed to get too cold, and when they seemed to get to hot, he cooled them down. Fera didn't have to keep her egg as warm as his, as the Bewilderbeast was an ice dragon, and hatched in lower temperatures. But she still wasn't taking any chances.

On the end of the third day, it happened.

Mortem was dozing off when he felt something nudge him. He opened his eyes and looked at his eggs. They were jerking around, and growing warmer. Moving quickly, Mortem pushed the eggs into the tide pool with his tail. Then he sat and waited.

He didn't have to wait too long, because there was a muffled explosion, and the shadow of a dragon the size of a Night Fury swimming up towards the surface. Mortem drew back as a baby Red Death climbed out of the tide pool and walked clumsily over to its parent. "_Hello, little guy,_" he said softly, nudging the baby, "_I'm your daddy._" The baby nuzzled his dad before settling down next to him. There was another explosion, and another baby swam up out of the pool. The new Red Death joined its dad, settling down next to its brother.

Mortem turned to Fera to show her his children, when he noticed that she wasn't alone. Her egg had hatched too, and her baby was playing with the frills on the back of its mother's head. Her egg had hatched when Mortem wasn't looking. There was a patch of frost where the egg had been, and Mortem could assume that the egg hatched differently than the other dragons'.

He turned his attention back to his children, who were fast asleep. He slowly got up, so as not to disturb them, and flew off to get some food for all of them.

When he got back, his mouth full of fish, the babies were awake, and wrestling with each other. He had identified their genders as male and female, and Fera's was a male as well. As he gave them their dinner, he tried to think of good names for them. Fera walked up to him. "_Do you want to meet Rex?_" she asked. Knowing that she was referring to her son, Mortem nodded. Fera then gestured for Rex to come out, and the little Bewilderbeast slowly approached the baby Red Deaths. The little ones noticed the ice dragonet, and settled down. The baby Bewilderbeast came closer, and soon, all three dragonets were playing together.

"_It's clear that the little female will be a Queen one day,_" Fera said, "_You should name her Regina._" Mortem thought for a moment, and then nodded. "_I think I'll call my son Roan,_" he said.

The other dragons were all listening, and when they heard Fera mention the name Regina, they remembered their previous queen. None of them had the strength or heart to tell Mortem that Regina had been the name of his real mother.

After a few hours of resting, Mortem noticed that his and Fera's children had doubled in size. He also noticed the other dragons taking off, their babies on their backs.

It was time for the Return Migration.

Mortem picked up his children and placed them on his back before taking to the skies. Fera soon followed him, carrying Rex on her back. Despite Bewilderbeasts not being built to fly, Fera's wings had gotten strong enough over the years of practicing in order for her to follow her mate. She hoped to teach this to her son as well, as it was possible that he could be the next Dragon King.

As Mortem and Fera led the rest of the dragons back to Berk, they didn't notice Benignus watching them from underneath the ocean surface.

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**Sorry it's been so long, but I was out of town for a few days. I hope this chapter isn't too bad. Review, follow, or favorite.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

**Sorry if I'm taking too long, it's just that it's summer and things have been a bit busy (and totally fun!)**

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Toothless Junior was, in a way, a lot like his dad. He didn't have a missing tail fin, but he was able to fly pretty well. His best friends were his younger brother Starflight, and Hic.

Starflight was more of the silent type, often trying to seclude himself. But Junior was able to find him wherever he went. He was the only one that Starflight would talk to. Anyone else who tried to talk to him would be given the silent treatment. It wasn't that Starflight was a bad dragon, he just lacked self-confidence. He could fly, but he couldn't breathe fire. The closest he could get were a few smoke rings.

Junior thought that giving Starflight a private lesson would help, so he took him to a rocky outcrop and tried to teach him how to shoot a plasma blast. Starflight tried, but all that came out were smoke rings.

Then Junior accidentally stepped on his tail.

Startled, Starflight roared in pain, and a plasma blast suddenly shot out of his mouth and hit a nearby boulder, blasting it to bits.

Junior was flabbergasted. "_Starflight, how did you do that?!_" "_I don't know!_" Starflight said, equally surprised.

Junior thought for a minute about what had happened, and realized how Starflight might have done it. He stomped down on Starflight's tail, but this time, there was no plasma blast. "_OW!_" Starflight screamed, "_What did you do that for?!_" Junior shrugged. "_Sorry._"

Starflight resumed practicing, but there was nothing but smoke rings for the rest of the training.

But they could still call it progress, in a way.

* * *

Back at the Haddock home, Draco was reading the Book of Dragons in his and Camicazi's room. His sister had gone out to train in the woods with their mom, and his dad was working on a project in the forge. Heather was taking care of Hic. In his mind, Draco was finally alone.

He had read through most of the book, and had learned quite a lot about the other dragons that lived on Berk. He was already wondering when he could start training with Jet. He had been looking forward to riding on him for a while, and didn't know how much longer he could wait.

"Night Fury. Class: Strike. Able to use echolocation to navigate in the dark, often referred to as the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Trainable: Yes."

He flipped to the section about the Monstrous Nightmare.

"Monstrous Nightmare. Class: Stoker. Able to set itself on fire, usually when enraged or fighting with another dragon. Trainable: Yes."

He flipped through the pages for a few minutes before he noticed a dragon he hadn't heard of before.

"Speed Stinger. Class: Sharp. Able to paralyze its victims with the stinger on the end of its tail. Always hunts at night, striking when least expected. Trainable: No."

Draco had never heard of an untrainable dragon, he had thought that every dragon was trainable. After all, his parents were able to train Mortem, and the Red Death was previously considered untrainable. Maybe someday he could find ways to train every dragon that existed.

Just then, there was the sound of a door slamming outside of the room. Draco closed the book and opened his door just a crack so he could hear what was going on. He heard two voices, one of which he recognized as Heather.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Heather asked. The other person laughed before introducing himself to the frightened girl. "I'm Dagur, the chief of the Berserker tribe, and I'm looking for Hiccup and his Night Fury. You wouldn't happen to know where they are, do you?" "The Night Fury isn't here," Heather tried to explain, "He left." "Liar," Dagur said. "No, it's true, the dragons are gone, he left with them." "And you expect me to believe that?" Dagur asked, "He can't fly without his friend, can he?" Heather didn't answer. Draco stayed quiet, trying to make his presence unnoticeable. "If you won't tell me where the dragon is," Dagur said, "Then where's Hiccup?" "I won't tell you," Heather said, trying to stay as strong as she possibly could, which didn't come naturally. "Tell me, or I'll tie you up and throw you in as a snack for the Scauldrons!" Dagur yelled.

There was a small cry from Hic's room.

There was silence, and Draco knew that Dagur had heard the crying. He shut the door as the faint sound of footsteps grew louder, heading for the baby's room. There was a loud bang, and Hic's crying intensified. "No!" Heather screamed, "Leave him alone!" A minute later, Draco heard Dagur's footsteps retreating, as well as Hic's screaming. When he was sure that the man was a safe distance away, Draco opened the door to hear the rest of the conversation. "Tell me, who is this?" Dagur asked. Heather didn't say anything. "Is this yours?" Dagur asked. Heather still didn't answer. Dagur laughed. "Well, maybe he could be useful in getting Hiccup to tell me where his dragon is, since you won't talk." There was the sound of a door slamming, and all was quiet.

Thinking it was safe, Draco bolted out of his room to see Heather lying on the floor, wide-eyed. She quickly stood up, and turned to Draco. "Go get your parents," she said, "And hurry." Draco nodded, bolting for the back door and running into the forest.

* * *

Camicazi was practicing her axe-throwing with her mother. The girl was very careful with what she hit with the axe, especially with her mother around. "When will the dragons get back?" she asked before throwing her axe at a scarred tree. "They're usually back for the holidays," Astrid replied, sharpening her own axe. "But Snoggletog is tomorrow," Camicazi said as she retrieved her axe. "Then they should be back by tonight," Astrid said.

"Mom! Camicazi!"

Both girls turned to see Draco running to them. "Draco, what's wrong? What happened?" Astrid asked. Draco stopped, out of breath. "Someone...came...to the house...took...Hic." "What?" Astrid asked. Draco looked up at her. "Someone asked Aunt Heather where Dad and Toothless were, and he took Hic!" "Who?" Astrid asked, desperately. "Someone named Dagur," Draco replied. Astrid's eyes widened.

"Oh, no."

* * *

Junior and Starflight were heading back to the village when they heard the sound of a baby crying. They hid in the shadows as the watched a strange man walk by with Hic in his arms. "_Go and get the others!_" Junior said to Starflight, who then flew off. Junior watched as the man started to head to the docks, where a ship with a strange crest on its sail. Just then, an axe came flying out of nowhere, narrowly missing the man's head. "Let him go, Dagur," said a voice. Both Dagur and Junior turned to see Astrid standing nearby. "Or what?" Dagur asked, "Do you really think you can stop me?"

"Put him down, Dagur."

Dagur turned to see Hiccup standing a few feet away, holding his Gronkle Iron shield. "What have we here, two dragon trainers trying to save a poor, innocent baby?" Dagur asked. He then noticed the wedding rings on their fingers. "Oh, no. Are you serious?" He burst out laughing before looking at Hiccup. "You married Astrid?" He laughed some more before he noticed Draco and Camicazi hiding nearby. "Oh, and got _busy_! It's a whole family of dragon trainers!" "If you don't put our son down this instant, so help me, I'll..." Astrid was cut off by Dagur. "This," he said, holding Hic out, "Is your son?" Astrid didn't answer. Dagur smiled wickedly. "I guess it was a good idea to take him, after all."

Junior bolted out into the open, roaring at top volume, in an attempt to scare Dagur away. But Dagur stayed put. "The Night Fury!" He thought that Junior was Toothless, which made sense, since they looked very much alike. But Junior wouldn't hesitate. He quickly ran behind Dagur to prevent him from escaping. Dagur caught a glimpse of Junior's tail as he did so, and noticed that this Night Fury had both tail fins. "What the...?" There was a screech, and Jet and Eclipse appeared beside their brother. Dagur turned to see more Night Furies snarling at him. He was completely surrounded. Junior bolted forward, snatching Hic out of Dagur's grasp and flying up into the sky. After making sure he was a safe distance away from the villain, he dove down and landed in between the baby's parents. "Hic!" Astrid ran over and scooped up her son.

Dagur was furious. "This isn't the end of it! I will get your son eventually! I'LL GET YOUR SON!" Junior lunged forward, standing behind Starflight, as the others all charged up their fire. Dagur gasped as he realized what was taking place. "Oh, no." This time, he wasn't going to laugh. Junior stomped down on Starflight's tail just as the other Night Furies fired their plasma blasts. Although there were only smoke rings that came out of Starflight's mouth, the plasma blasts all blasted Dagur, exploding on contact. A minute later, Dagur's smoking helmet fell to the ground with a clatter.

That was the last of the Berserker chief.

Hiccup turned away from the wreckage to see Astrid hugging their son close. Hic had stopped crying, and was snuggling into his mother's embrace. Hiccup set his shield down before walking over to meet his wife. "Is he okay?" he asked. Astrid nodded, holding her son close. Hiccup embraced her gently. "We almost lost him," he heard Astrid mutter. "But we didn't," he said, "We got him back, and that's all that matters." Astrid hugged their son tighter. "I love you both so much," she said.

Hiccup was temporarily surprised. He usually used those words whenever he was talking to Draco and Camicazi. It seemed a but weird to hear Astrid say it, but it didn't make him hesitate. "I love you too."

The twins both groaned in disgust.

* * *

Later that evening, Astrid started carrying Hic around with her whenever she was out in public. Despite Hiccup constantly assuring her that their son would be okay, she wouldn't leave him.

"You're being overprotective," Hiccup said as they walked in the plaza, "He'll be fine." "How can you know for sure?" Astrid asked, holding Hic in her arms. "Because we have friends willing to do what they can to help us," Hiccup said. Astrid stopped walking, and Hiccup turned to face her. "He reminds me so much of you," Astrid said, looking at her son, "He was there for me when you weren't. I love him almost as much as I love you." Hiccup sighed. "If anything happens, I will do what I can to make sure that he's safe, Astrid. I promise." Astrid looked up at him. "Thank you."

At that moment, there was a loud, familiar roar. The roar of a Red Death. And that could mean only one thing.

"Mortem!"

Sure enough, the Red Death was leading the other dragons with Fera flying beside him. The two giant dragons landed in the water, and the other dragons all landed in the plaza. Hiccup rushed to meet Toothless. Draco and Camicazi heard all the noise and ran to meet their brother. Mortem let Roan and Regina jump off his back to meet his siblings. Rex soon joined them.

Astrid watched them from a distance, and was soon joined by Stormfly. The Nadder nuzzled her rider and the baby in her arms.

The Night Furies soon arrived, led by Jet, and welcomed their parents and new sister.

All was well.

* * *

**If any of you think this was rushed, I just want you guys to know that I have been trying to come up with good material. Dagur is dead the family is back together, and Starflight had shown the first signs of breathing fire. Review, follow, or favorite.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

**I hope I'm not keeping all of you guys waiting for too long, so here's the next chapter.**

* * *

After learning about what his parents and siblings had gone through with saving Hic, Mortem never left the house. He curled protectively around the entire building, making sure that no one ever got in except those who lived there. His children were being watched by Fera, who had her paws full of the three young dragon heirs. But Mortem guarding the house was able to get Astrid to no longer worry about losing Hic. At least for a little while.

Roan and Regina were disappointed that their dad was spending time with his baby brother instead of them, but Fera knew that all babies are complicated. Even dragon babies.

Rex, on the other hand, was rather quiet. He was playing with his tusk stumps and the small frills on his neck, all the while observing his mother. He wondered if Roan and Regina were siblings to him, since Mortem and Fera were considered mates. He believed that Fera had laid three eggs, one of which being a Bewilderbeast while the other two were Red Deaths. Roan and Regina believed that too, and Fera realized that she and Mortem would have to eventually tell them the truth.

Draco and Camicazi were in the Great Hall with the other Vikings. Draco was reading the Book of Dragons again, while Camicazi was sitting at an empty table, bored. She hadn't been allowed to bring her axe with her, for fear she could hurt someone, and there wasn't much else for her to do. She would normally hand out with Eclipse, but she was busy with her siblings, keeping an eye on Echo. There were at least two options for Camicazi, either to listen to her brother's lectures on dragons, or watch her parents talk love. And those were two things that she did NOT like doing. Which was why she was sitting almost completely still, staring off into space, daydreaming.

Astrid did admit she was still a little worried about Hic after what had happened, but she didn't let that stop her from enjoying herself. Especially when she had Hiccup with her. He always knew how to cheer her up, and forget about the problem. At least for a little while.

As for Hiccup, despite the fact that he was also worried about his son, he knew that with the dragons back, Hic would be fine. What was the point of stressing over something that he couldn't control, anyway? He loved his son, yes, but that didn't mean he had to always protect him. If there was anything he didn't want, it was to be like his dad. Stoick had been, and probably still was, overprotective of Hiccup. And Hiccup didn't want his children to have the same kind of trouble he did. He'd been discussing it with Astrid, and she understood most of it.

"You don't have to worry so much about becoming your father." Hiccup sighed. "Yeah, and you don't have to worry so much about our son." "We almost lost him!" Astrid nearly shouted. Hiccup sighed again, placing his hands on her shoulders. "But we didn't." Astrid hung her head. Hiccup gently cupped her cheek. "Astrid, look at me." Astrid sighed before looking up, and meeting his eyes. "It doesn't matter what happened," Hiccup said gently, "All that matters is that Hic is safe." Astrid didn't say anything. Hiccup held back another sigh, and pulled Astrid to him, hugging her. "It's okay," he said gently, "He's safe now. You don't have to worry." Astrid responded by snuggling into his embrace. "You're right, I...I don't know what's come over me, I mean..." Hiccup shushed her. "It's okay. You're still the tough Viking I love." Astrid smiled before punching him in the shoulder. "OW!" Hiccup let go of her, and clutched his shoulder. "What was that for?" he asked. "That's for the sappy romance," Astrid said with a smug grin. Hiccup chuckled. "I thought you liked it," he teased. "I do," Astrid said. She then pulled him to her, kissing him passionately.

"EWW!"

They both pulled away to see Camicazi sitting nearby, her face twisted in disgust. "Why'd you have to do that?" she asked, still disgusted. Hiccup laughed, "Sorry, Cami." He turned to Astrid. "I'll admit, I am a bit of a..." "Hopeless romantic?" Astrid finished. Hiccup sighed. "Why does everyone say that?!" "I don't mind," Astrid said, "It's just what makes you who you are. Among other things." Hiccup smiled at her. "That, Astrid, is one of the reasons why I love you."

The was a loud bang, and the doors to the Great Hall flew open, revealing Roan and Regina. The twin dragonets walked over to Hiccup and started sniffing him. "They probably smell Mortem on you," Astrid muttered. "Either that, or they want to see if I'm something they can eat," Hiccup said sarcastically. Astrid glared at him. "They're babies," Hiccup said, "They don't know about what to eat or not."

But Astrid was right, Hiccup did have Mortem's scent on him. Roan and Regina noticed this, and continued sniffing. The sense of smell of a Red Death was one of its strongest senses, and the dragonets had picked up the scent of their father from outside, following it inside the Great Hall. Their father had told them on the Return Migration that he had been raised by humans, and they assumed that this was one of the humans that had raised him. But they didn't know enough to identify which one he was. All they knew was that he was one of their "grandparents."

Hiccup cautiously held out a hand, and Roan stared at it. He was still for a moment before moving his head forward, his nose making contact with Hiccup's hand. "Guess who just became a grandpa," Astrid said. "Guess who can't believe it," Hiccup said sarcastically.

* * *

Meanwhile, Starflight and the others were all outside with their parents and baby sister.

"_Why didn't it work?_" Starflight asked Junior, "_The last time you stepped on my tail, I shot a plasma blast! Why didn't I do it again?!_" Junior shrugged. "_Our parents say that late bloomers don't learn how to breathe fire until they're much older._" "_Did they say anything about why I did it before?_" Starflight asked. "_I think that since you were startled, it somehow made you shoot a blast because you felt distressed,_" Junior said, "_And you didn't before because..._" "_Because I was too angry about what that guy, Dagur, had done,_" Starflight realized. He felt something nip at his tail, and he turned to see what it was.

It was Echo.

The little dragonet was a midnight black, except for the scales around her eyes, which were white. She was extremely playful, and had the tendency to pounce on anything that moved.

"_She's been doing that since she got back with Mom and Dad,_" said Negro. "_I remember when I did that,_" Fury said. This received a glare from her twin brother. "_You almost bit my tail off,_" Negro said. Fury shrugged. "_I didn't know what I was doing,_" she said. Nightwing and Midnight watched from a distance. The two brothers looked very much alike, except that Midnight's tail had a small white tip. Nightwing had huge wings, which were white at the tips like Eclipse, and his eyes were surprisingly pale. Negro was black all over, but what set him apart from Junior was his eyes. Junior's eyes were the same shade of green as his father's, but Negro's eyes were a much darker green. Fury was mostly black, except for the thin white streaks on her back and head.

"_Well, you have to admit that Echo is pretty cute,_" Eclipse said. Jet nodded in agreement.

Toothless and Starlight watched their children from nearby. Neither of them would have thought that they'd have so many beautiful dragonets. Despite the fact that none of them were fully grown yet, most were already mastering their flying and fire skills. It was true, Starflight was a late bloomer, but they both knew that he would learn how to breathe fire later. The same with Echo, who was too young to do so just yet.

There was a low growl, and the two Night Furies turned to see Mortem approaching the Great Hall. "_I thought you were protecting Hic,_" Toothless said. "_I was,_" Mortem replied, "_But now I'm looking for Roan and Regina._" "_They went inside,_" Starflight said, gesturing with her head.

Mortem peeked in through the doors to see his children sniffing his dad. He smiled. He knew that his parents would help him and Fera with their children.

And he would find a way to help them with theirs.

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait, I'm kind of running out of ideas. The next chapter will most likely take place two years later, somewhere in the beginning of the second movie, which by the way, was the MOST AWESOME MOVIE I'VE SEEN ALL SUMMER! Please leave a review, follow, or favorite.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

**A quick leap forward to the second movie, with all of the OCs in it. I haven't gotten a lot of reviews for the new chapters, and I'm kinda disappointed.**

* * *

Two years had gone by, and the Dragon Riders had made a new sport: Dragon Racing. They held many competitions, most of which were won by either Astrid or Hiccup. Draco and Camicazi often complained about not being able to participate, since they believed that they were old enough to compete in the races. But their parents knew that their children wouldn't be able to match the other Riders' dragons.

Hic had grown into a rather shy boy, often hiding behind or standing next to Junior, holding his father's old stuffed dragon toy, which he had dubbed "Buttons," in his arms. He rarely said anything to anyone except for his parents and Junior. The Night Fury seemed to understand the boy better than even his own parents. No one knew why, but Hic was rather afraid of getting out into the world, even with his family. The little boy had never left his spot under Junior's wing whenever he was out of the house, even when the dragon moved. He stayed under Junior's wing, watching the Dragon Race with his brother and sister. Hiccup, Toothless, Mortem, Fera, Rex, Roan, and Regina were nowhere to be seen.

The other Riders were all competing, with Snotlout and Fishlegs giving the sheep their dragons caught to Ruffnut. For some reason, they had shifted their attention on the female twin in hopes of wooing her. Astrid always questioned it, but the two men always shrugged it off. With the twins with 9, Astrid with 3, and Snotlout, Fishlegs, and Hiccup with 0 points each, it was soon time for the Black Sheep, which was worth 10 full points.

Hic watched, holding tightly on to Buttons, as Fishlegs grabbed the sheep just before Stormfly could catch it in her talons. Fishlegs quickly passed the sheep to Ruffnut, who began fighting Tuffnut for it. That didn't stop Astrid from leaping onto the back of their dragon to get the sheep. Hic watched his mom approach the twins on dragonback, getting closer. "Come on, Mommy," he whispered under his breath, his hold on Buttons tightening. Much to his relief, Astrid snatched the sheep out of the twins' grasp and landed safely atop her dragon. From somewhere in the crowd that had gathered, Hic could hear his grandfather cheering, "That's my daughter-in-law!" Hic continued to watch as Astrid nearly threw the Black Sheep into her sheep-collecting net.

The Race was over, Astrid had won with 13 points.

Hic sighed in relief, and turned to look at his siblings. But Draco and Camicazi weren't there. Eyes wide with worry, Hic peeked out from underneath Junior's wing to search the skies. But all he saw was the retreating silhouette of his mother on her dragon, leaving to search for her husband.

* * *

At that time, both Mortem and Fera were swimming in the water with their children. Roan, Regina, and Rex were each half the size of the two giants, and they were each taking turns resurfacing from underwater. Mortem could see the approaching form of his father on Toothless's back, and headed for the surface with Fera. The family of giants followed their children's game, resurfacing again and again. Mortem kept his three left eyes on his father, and then raised his wings out of the water as he surfaced. Toothless flew under his wing, and then darted up into the clouds, spinning. Mortem watched them until he couldn't see them anymore. He turned back to his twin children, who were wrestling playfully in the water. He smiled. His children had grown up fast, but there was still much for them to learn.

Mortem soon heard a noise from above and looked up to see Hiccup and Toothless free-falling. He tried to ignore the urge to help as he watched them. In what he would describe as half a second, Hiccup suddenly pulled a pair of leather wings out of his flight suit, catching a draft and soaring into the air. Toothless followed by spreading his own wings. With the two of them soaring through the clouds, Mortem noticed an unfamiliar land up ahead. Fera swam up next to him. "_Could that be one of the new places your father had mentioned?_" she asked.

Mortem thought through the list of places that Hiccup had named, but he couldn't remember an island he had described that resembled the one they saw. "_No, it isn't, let's check it out._"

The island was too small and too high up for them to climb up on it, but Mortem and Fera were able to see the land while standing on their hind legs. Mortem wasn't used to balancing on two legs instead of four, but Fera was. Mortem placed his front paws on the side of the island to balance himself, just as Toothless and Hiccup came crashing down out of the forest. Mortem's eyes widened at the sight and warbled. "It's okay, Mortem, we're okay," came Hiccup's muffled reply. There were a few clicks, and then Hiccup stood up and removed the helmet he was wearing.

Mortem sucked in a breath. Astrid told him many times how much she liked Hiccup's new look, and now even he had to admit that it was rather...different. And not in a bad way. He warbled, and Hiccup turned to look at him. "I've never seen this place before," he said, "We should put it on the map." Mortem felt weight on his back and knew instinctively that Roan and Regina were climbing on him to get a good look at the place. He turned to look at Toothless, who seemed annoyed with something. The Night Fury flicked a small pebble at his rider, hitting him in the head. Hiccup turned to the dragon. "Toothless!" The dragon turned away, growling. Mortem gave him a look of confusion before Roan covered his three right eyes with his paw and climbed up on the island, with Regina following. Mortem rubbed his eyes with his paw, and when he opened them, Hiccup was on the ground with Toothless on top of him.

"He's down! And it's ugly! Dragons and Vikings, enemies again! Locked in combat to the bitter...!"

Toothless then plopped down, his head resting on Hiccup's stomach. Hiccup groaned before the Night Fury started licking him. Roan and Regina noticed them and started licking Hiccup as well. Mortem shook his head, getting down on all fours and taking in a mouthful of water. As he climbed up the side of the island once more, he heard Hiccup complain, "You know that doesn't wash out!" Mortem lifted his head above Hiccup and dumped the water on him. Hiccup cried out in surprise and looked up. "Oh, thanks," he said in a sarcastic manner, "Now I'm all wet." Mortem gave him a sceptical look before igniting a fire inside his mouth. He lowered his head and opened his mouth, exposing Hiccup to the warm flames, which quickly dried him off. When he was through, Mortem shut his mouth and extiguished the flames. All washed up and dried out, Hiccup pulled out his sketchbook and unfolded a map that he had made. Mortem turned to look at Fera, who had Rex climbing on her head trying to get onto the island. He shook his head, smiling. He didn't mind calling Rex his son, since he and Fera were mates. But at a few rare moments, it seemed weird to him.

"What should we name it?"

Mortem turned to his father, who was looking at Toothless. Hiccup always gave Toothless the honor of naming the new lands they discovered, which ended up with some wierdly named places that even Mortem wouldn't call by name. Toothless reached under his left front leg and started scratching there with his mouth. "Itchy Armpit it is." Mortem fought the urge to roll his eyes as Roan and Regina exchanged giggle-like noises. "_At least he gives Toothless some credit,_" Fera said to her mate. "_Do you really want to go there?_" he asked. Fera nudged him. "_At least try to be happy for them, they're our family._" "_I am,_" Mortem said, "_It's the naming thing I'm a little annoyed about._"

"Hiccup, there you are!"

All the dragons turned to see Astrid on Stormfly, landing on the edge of the island. Hiccup looked over his shoulder. "Afternoon, milady. Where've you been?" Toothless bounded forward to meet Stormfly, who squawked in approval. "Oh, winning races, what else?" Astrid said as she walked over to Hiccup, "The real question is, where have you been?" She sat down next to Hiccup as he answered. "Avoiding my dad." "Oh no," Astrid groaned, "What happened now?" Mortem sighed. _Here we go,_ he said in his thoughts. Roan, Regina, and Rex stopped playing and sat down to listen as Toothless and Stormfly continued socializing. "Oh, you're gonna love this," Hiccup said, adjusting himself so that he was looking at Astrid. "I wake up, the sun's shining, Terrible Terrors are singing on the rooftop," he handed Astrid his pencil so she could draw the land for him on the map, "I sauntered down to breakfast thinking all is right with the world, and then I get, 'Son, we need to talk!'" He stood up, imitating his father. The giant dragonets started laughing at his imitation.

Astrid rolled her eyes and started to imitate Hiccup. "Not now, Dad, I've got a whole day of goofing off to get started!" Even Mortem had trouble containing his dragonic laughter. He'd seen other people imitate his father, but never Astrid. Hiccup chuckled. "Okay, first of all, I don't sound like that, what is this character? Okay, and second...what is that thing you're doing with my shoulders?" Mortem was momentarily distracted by his children's laughter, but he was able to hear Hiccup imitate his dad again. "You're the pride of Berk, son, and I couldn't be prouder." Mortem was about to laugh when Astrid started to imitate Hiccup again. "Aw, thanks Dad, I'm pretty impressed with myself too!" This time, Mortem did laugh. He was able to calm himself down enough to hear Hiccup explain why he was there. "You're all grown up," he said, still imitating Stoick, "And since no chief could ask for a better successor, I've decided..." "To make you chief!" Astrid finished. Fera looked at Mortm. "_That's what this is all about?_" she asked. Mortem shrugged. "_Apparently._" Roan and Regina suddenly ran past them after Toothless and Stormfly, who were racing each other around the island. The four dragons dashed past Astrid and Hiccup, accidentally knocking them down. "_Kids!_" Mortem roared, "_You've got to be more careful, you could hurt someone!_" Roan and Regina hung their heads as they walked over to their father. "_Sorry, Dad,_" they said in unison. Mortem sighed before he nuzzled them. "_It's fine that you both want to play,_" he said in a much gentler voice, "_But you need to be careful. We're big dragons, which means that we can cause damage without meaning to. You just need to be more aware of your surroundings._" He turned to look at Rex. "_The same goes for you too, buddy._" Rex gave a slight nod, showing that he understood.

As Mortem talked with his and Fera's children, Hiccup sat down near the edge of the island, disappointed. He was soon joined by Astrid, who started to braid his hair. There was already a small braid, which she had done the last time they had talked. "What you're searching for," she said, "Isn't out there, Hiccup." She stopped braiding his hair and placed her hand over his heart. "It's in here." Hiccup gave her a small smile before looking out on the horizon. Astrid finished braiding his hair. "Maybe you just don't see it yet," she said before kissing him on the cheek. Hiccup silently thanked Mortem for dumping the water on him earlier. As Roan and Regina caught Astrid's attention, Hiccup noticed something in the distance. "There's something out there," he said. He grabbed Astrid's chin and turned her head so she could see it.

Smoke.

* * *

**This took me only two days to type up. It might be a while before the next update, but we'll see. Any idea where Draco and Camicazi ran off to? Review, follow, or favorite.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

**This will follow the events of the movie, but not always in the Vikings' POV.**

* * *

Fera had gone back to Berk with her and Mortem's children. She had wanted to make sure that they got back home safely. She had mastered her flying skills and was soaring in the air with Roan and Regina. Rex was riding on her back. He had a fear of heights, and refused to learn to fly. None of them were aware that they were being watched.

When the island of Berk came into view, Fera sped up her pace, hoping that she could get the dragonets back in time to go and help Mortem and his parents with whatever they had come across. But her view was soon blocked by a dragon. She pulled back, nearly throwing Rex off. The dragon had four wings and he had someone riding on his back. Fera could just make out the blue dragon-like outfit that the person wore. She didn't have a good feeling about them.

"_Go back home,_" she told the dragonets, "_Go!_" Roan and Regina quickly flew in the direction of Berk. Rex jumped off his mother's back and into the water and started following them.

"_Who are you?_" Fera asked the strange dragon, "_What do you want?_" The dragon didn't answer, but his rider said something. "Another Bewilderbeast? Out here? That can fly?" The rider's voice identified it as female.

Fera was confused. Had they met her father? And what would they want with a Bewilderbeast?

The rider directed her dragon north, beckoning for Fera to follow them. Curious and suspicious, Fera followed.

"_Are you by any chance the offspring of our Alpha, Benignus?_" the dragon asked. "_Now you want to talk?_" Fera asked. "_Answer my question,_" the dragon said. Fera sighed. "_No, my father's name is Tyranno._" "_The evil one?!_" the dragon said suddenly. His rider patted his neck. "Cloudjumper, what's wrong?" "_Cloudjumper?_" Fera repeated. The dragon, Cloudjumper, sighed. "_I didn't choose it._"

"_How many of us are there?_" Fera asked suddenly. "_Counting you and your offspring, four,_" Cloudjumper replied, "_And you resemble Benignus so much. Are you sure that your father is Tyranno?_" Fera nodded. She then noticed a giant ice structure ahead of them. "_What's that?_" she asked. "_That is our nest,_" Cloudjumper said. "_How do I get in?_" Fera asked. "_There is an underwater passage that you can fit through,_" Cloudjumper said, "_It will take you in there._"

Fera immediately stopped flying and dived underwater. There was a large opening surrounded by ice. It was big enough for her to fit through. She swam into the tunnel and found herself swimming downward. She continued through the tunnel and soon found that it was going up. She followed the tunnel and soon noticed a light ahead, indicating that the tunnel was ending. Following the light, she soon found herself out of the water and in a sort of large opening. She looked around and noticed thousands of dragons flying around, resting on rock structures and grassy ledges. The top was closed by a huge ceiling made of ice. The entire area was big enough for her to get up and walk around.

"_Another Bewilderbeast?_"

Fera groaned. "_Why does everyone say that?_" She turned in the direction of the growls and saw something that nearly took her breath away.

There was another Bewilderbeast, and he looked exactly like she did.

"_What are you doing in my nest?_" the older Bewildrebeast asked. "_Cloudjumper and his rider led me here,_" Fera said, "_My name is Fera. __Are you Benignus?_" "_Yes,_" said the Bewilderbeast, "_Y__ou've heard of me?_" "_Cloudjumper mentioned your name,_" Fera said, "_Do you know Tyranno?_" All the other dragons shrieked and flew off into hiding. "_How dare you mention his name here!_" Benignus scolded. "_I'm sorry,_" Fera said in guilt, "_But he's my father._" Benignus's eyes widened. "_Your father?_" he asked. "_Yes,_" Fera said sadly, "_But for some reason he wanted me to do bad things. I couldn't. I was too kind-hearted, as he said. I knew that he didn't want me. No one wanted me._" Benignus suddenly lunged at her. She drew back in case of an attack. But Benignus embraced her, his wings wrapping around her and pulling her towards him._  
_

"_I wanted you,_" he said, "_You were the only thing I wanted. That dragon, Tyranno...he's my brother. He stole my egg and took it someplace where I couldn't find it. He said that he would raise it as his own and then come back to take over as Alpha. I went to find him, but when I did, the egg was gone. I'd thought that I'd lost it forever. But then I found you. I followed you, thinking, hoping, that maybe you were who I thought you were. But I have no need to worry now. I can't believe that I've finally found you._"

"_What are you talking about?_" Fera asked, pulling out of the embrace. Benignus leaned in and stared into Fera's eyes. "_Tyranno is not your father,_" he said, "_He's your uncle__._" Fera's eyes widened. _No, it can't be true, it can't!_ "_But...doesn't that mean...?_" "_Yes,_" Benignus said. He paused before he finally confessed the truth.

"_Fera, you're my daughter._"

Fera suddenly felt dizzy. Tyranno had lied to her. She wasn't a killer deep down inside like he had always said. He wasn't even her father. Benignus was. The next thing she knew, everything was black.

She had fainted.

* * *

"_Fera? Fera? Fera, are you alright?_"

Fera opened her eyes. "_Father?_" Benignus nuzzled her. "_I'm here._" Fera looked away in shame. "_I'm sorry,_" she said, "_I should have known that Tyranno was not my father. I was nothing like him._" "_It's just the way he is,_" Benignus said, "_We can't change it. All we can do is hope that he doesn't come. We're facing a threat greater than any other. There's a madman that goes by the name Drago Bludfist, and he wants all of the dragons. We have to make sure that he is stopped at all costs. Fera, can I count on you to help us?_" Fera nodded eagerly. There was suddenly a loud ruckus from above as many of the dragons suddenly left. "_What's going on?_" Benignus asked one of the dragons. A Hobblegrunt turned and looked at him._  
_

"_Another Dragon Rider has been found!_"

* * *

**I know this chapter is short, but the next will be Hiccup meeting his mother. Any guesses at all of where Draco and Camicazi are? Also, I haven't been getting many reviews lately, and that's kinda disappointing. Please leave a review, it'll make me really happy!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

**Now I'm sure you know what happens next. And I'll admit that I don't remember exactly everything that happens.**

* * *

Hiccup looked up to find himself surrounded by strange dragons he had never seen before. They were all looking at him and growling. He cautiously stood up, ready to grab his sword, Dragon Blade, if he had to.

"Ow!"

Hiccup turned to see a young girl stumble out of the group of dragons, falling to the ground. Hiccup recognized her almost instantly.

"Camicazi?"

Hearing her name, Camicazi quickly stood up. "It's not my fault!" she said in annoyance, "Draco ran away, and I thought that I'd get blamed for it, so..."

"That's not true!" yelled a voice, and Draco shoved his way past the dragons and stood next to his sister.

Hiccup was extremely shocked now. "Draco?!"

The twins continued to talk, each telling a different story.

"You said, 'Something's going on with Dad, we have to find out what,'" Draco said to his sister. But Camicazi continued with her version of the story. "I went to look for him, but I couldn't find him, and we both got lost and ended up here. _It's not my fault_!" Draco finished with his version as Camicazi finished with hers. "It was your idea, your idea, one hundred percent all yours all the time idea!"

"Wait a second," Hiccup said, "You guys left Hic back on Berk _alone_?!" "Yes, Dad, we're completely stupid," Camicazi said sarcastically. "Aunt Heather still hasn't left the house since that Dagur incident," Draco said.

There was a noise, and the three of them turned to see a mysterious dragon rider. The same one that had confronted Hiccup earlier.

Nervous, Draco hid behind his father's leg. Camicazi tried to look tough, but it was hard to when she was surrounded by dragons that didn't look very friendly. And the dragon rider didn't look friendly either. And he didn't seem to be listening to what Hiccup was saying to him either.

If he was a he.

The Dragon Rider suddenly swung their staff and hit it against the floor of the cave they were in. There was a clicking noise, and a group of dragons arrived, carrying a dark figure in their talons. The figure dropped to the floor next to Hiccup.

"Toothless!"

Hiccup hugged his dragon, who nuzzled him. Draco and Camicazi turned around to see to more black figures pushing their way through the crowd of dragons.

Jet and Eclipse.

As the twins reunited with their dragons, the cave was suddenly lit by fire. All three dragon trainers turned to see the dragons in the cave igniting fire in their mouths, much like Mortem had done. The Dragon Rider put down their stick and started to advance on Hiccup. Toothless growled, standing protectively in front of Hiccup. He froze, however, when the Dragon Rider made a simple hand gesture, and then he dropped to the floor, looking as if he had just sniffed a handful of Dragon Nip. Jet and Eclipse rushed to their father's side and tried to get him to wake up. As the Dragon Rider came closer, Draco retook his place behind Hiccup's leg. Now afraid, Camicazi joined him.

The Dragon Rider reached out to touch Hiccup, but he moved away. The rider suddenly froze.

"Hiccup?"

The rider reached up and removed the mask, revealing their face. It was a woman. The twins noticed that she somewhat resembled Hiccup. Jet and Eclipse joined them, and they cautiously stepped away. They knew that they had to leave. But it was hard to leave when they were completely surrounded by dragons. "I admit it," Camicazi said to her brother, "My idea was a stupid one." "Oh, now you admit it was your idea?" Draco asked sarcastically. "You're not helping," Camicazi said through gritted teeth.

The twins turned to see Hiccup following the woman deeper into the cave, and they hastened to follow him. Jet and Eclipse bounded after them.

The twins followed their father as best they could, but they eventually gave up and climbed on their dragons' backs. Jet and Eclipse followed the sounds of Hiccup's voice and Toothless's growls. The noise suddenly stopped, and the twins noticed an opening ahead. They dismounted their dragons and walked through, finding themselves in a large open area.

The Dragons' Nest.

Draco noticed Hiccup and Toothless nearby, and ran up to meet them. Camicazi noticed her brother and followed. Jet and Eclipse soon arrived and joined their own father as well. Draco looked up and suddenly noticed a strange but curious-looking dragon looking down at them. Inside the dragon's wings was the woman from earlier.

"This is where you've been for 20 years?" Hiccup asked. The woman, Valka, looked at him. "You're not upset?" Draco and Camicazi were confused. They hadn't heard what had happened between Hiccup and Valka in the cave, and didn't know why Hiccup wasn't nervous anymore. But what their dad said next seemed to explain it.

"Well, it's not every day you find out your mother is some kind of crazy, feral, vigilante dragon lady."

Draco and Camicazi's eyes instantly widened. This woman was their grandmother?

Valka chuckled as her dragon lowered her to the ground. "At least I'm not boring, right?" "I hate being bored," Camicazi muttered. Valka noticed her and Draco. "Hiccup, are these...?" "Yes," Hiccup said, "They're my kids." Valka gasped, and slowly approached the twins. She crouched down to their height and gently cupped their cheeks. "They're adorable!" Hiccup smiled as Valka looked at his children. "All these years, and I never thought you'd become a father," Valka said. She then noticed Draco's eyes. Gently cupping the boy's cheeks, she leaned in for a better look. "Two different colored eyes? Remarkable!" Camicazi grabbed Valka's arm. "Don't touch him like that." Valka chuckled as she turned to look at Camicazi. "A feisty one, aren't you?" She then grabbed a handful of the girl's hair. "And she has your hair!" she said to Hiccup, "Who's the mother?" Hiccup had expected her to ask that question. "Astrid. From the...Hofferson clan." When Valka didn't say anything, Hiccup quickly added, "She's my wife."

Valka remained silent for a few seconds before muttering, "The Hoffersons." She let go of Camicazi and stood up. "Was it an arranged marriage?" she asked, looking at Hiccup. "No," Hiccup said, "I asked her, and she said yes."

The twins didn't pay attention to what Hiccup and Valka were talking about. They were busy examining the nest. The ceiling was made of ice, which they found rather odd. Some dragons flew by, and Draco eagerly ran after them. Camicazi rolled her eyes, and turned away to find herself face to face with an unfamiliar dragon. The dragon looked a lot like a mix between a Nadder and a Zippleback, and it was about three times the size of a normal baby dragon. And yet, it still had a baby dragon's characteristics. If that was a baby, then how big was an adult? For once, Camicazi actually wanted a dragon lecture from her brother.

"Hey, Cami, over here!"

Camicazi, not stopping to tell her brother not to call her that, ran toward the sound of Draco's voice. She saw him looking down off of the cliff they were on. He pointed down into the gorge. "Look." Camicazi looked and saw something that nearly made her eyes pop out of their sockets.

A white Bewilderbeast was laying in the water in the gorge, resting.

"Is it Fera?" she asked. Draco shook his head. "No, this one is bigger than her. And since its tusks are longer than Fera's, it must be male."

"Who's Fera?"

The twins turned to see Valka and Hiccup standing behind them. They had been interacting with Toothless and had overheard the twins' conversation. "A friend of ours," Camicazi said. As she spoke, Draco noticed some deeper water near the edge of the nest. As he watched a huge white figure emerged from the depths. "It's Fera!" he shouted. Camicazi and Hiccup both looked down to see the female Bewilderbeast walk up to the other one. "That Bewilderbeast of yours seems quite attached to our Alpha," Valka said, "I believe maybe yours is the offspring of our king." Fera looked up and was surprised to see Hiccup and the twins. Benignus noticed them as well, and stood up to look at them. Valka and the other dragons bowed as Benignus stood up. Even Toothless didn't hesitate to bow his head before the behemoth.

Benignus stared at Hiccup with interest. "_He's the one who raised me,_" Fera said to her father, "_He killed the Dragon Queen and ended the war._" Benignus gave a slight nod before playfully blowing a frosty breath that caused snow to form in Hiccup's hair. Valka laughed as her son brushed the snow out.

"He likes you."

* * *

Junior beat his wings fast and strong, just keeping pace with Mortem. On the Night Fury's back was a very terrified Hic, who was clutching Buttons tightly, holding the toy dragon close to his chest. "Mortem, where are you going?" the small boy called to his brother. But Mortem didn't answer. Believing his father was in trouble, he continued to follow the scent of Hiccup and Toothless. Junior and Hic noticed Mortem leaving and were following him.

Hic was terrified. He had been playing with Junior when Mortem suddenly left, and since Junior took it as a sign that something was wrong, he left Berk with him, unintentionally taking Hic with him on his back. Clutching Buttons tightly, Hic tried to get a firm grip on Junior. Junior slowed down so that Hic wouldn't fall off. But when he turned, Mortem was gone. Suddenly, a net came out of nowhere and entangled Junior. The Night Fury began to plummet, and Hic started to scream. Junior suddenly grabbed the small boy and tucked him underneath his wings. Junior hit the ground hard, and found himself surrounded by mean-looking Vikings.

"About time a dragon showed up," muttered one of the Vikings. He turned to the others. "Take that dragon to Drago," he said.

Hic remained hidden in Junior's wings, holding onto Buttons for dear life.

* * *

**If any of you guys feel like you want to kill those Dragon Trappers, then I know how you feel. I didn't really like writing that bit. *sigh* I am SUCH a good person! (That was sarcasm, by the way.) Review, follow or favorite.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

**Before everything else, I'd like to say that I appreciate those who are still reading the series.**

* * *

Mortem had not noticed what had happened to Toothless Jr. and Hic. He was too focused on finding his father, and probably saving him. He was able to track Hiccup's scent to wherever he had gone. Hopefully he'd get there in time, in case Hiccup was in any trouble. But there was another scent that he had picked up. Three Bewilderbeasts, two of which he identified as Fera and Rex. But the third scent was unfamiliar to him. He hoped that whatever Bewilderbeast it was, it wasn't a hostile one. He suddenly noticed what looked like a giant ice structure. And it was on an island.

As he drew near, Mortem landed near the shore and proceeded to examine the ice. It wasn't cold enough for it to have been made by a storm, but he remembered that Bewilderbeasts had ice breath. He sniffed the ice cautiously, and realized that Hiccup and the others were inside. Sitting down near the entrance to the nest, Mortem warbled loudly.

* * *

Valka was showing Hiccup and the twins around the nest when a loud warbling sound filled the entire nest. Hiccup stopped and listened. "I know that sound." There was another warble, and all the dragons went still. "What is that?" Valka asked. Draco hesitated. "Uh,...that's our brother. Our," he snickered, "BIG brother." Camicazi also snickered. Hiccup sighed in frustration. Draco stopped snickering. "Okay, sorry." There was another warble, and Hiccup started running to the entrance to the nest. Concerned, Valka followed him.

Hiccup knew why the dragon was warbling. He was looking for him. And he could tell what dragon it was. There was only one dragon who warbled that loudly.

Mortem.

Hiccup ran faster when he found the entrance to the nest. "Mortem!" The giant dragon responded by lifting his head so that he was looking into the nest. Hiccup stopped, inches away from the entrance. Realizing that Hiccup couldn't get out, Mortem backed away. Hiccup walked out of the nest and hugged Mortem. "I missed you, Big Guy." Mortem warbled once again.

It didn't take long for Valka to catch up to her son. And she was quite surprised to see the giant dragon he was hugging. "What kind of dragon is that?" she asked. Hiccup stopped hugging Mortem and answered his mother's question. "A Red Death," he said, "But he won't hurt you. He's...my son." Valka gave him a look of confusion. "He's adopted," Hiccup explained, "I was the first thing he saw after he hatched, and he imprinted on me." Now it was Mortem's turn to give Hiccup a look of confusion. Why was he telling this strange woman about him? Hiccup noticed his son's confusion and gestured to Valka. "Mortem, this is my mom. Mom, this is Mortem." Now Valka understood. But Mortem was still confused. Hiccup had told him many times about how everyone said that Valka had been taken and eaten by a dragon. And yet, here she was, alive and well, living amongst the dragons that had brought her there.

Hiccup noticed Mortem's expression. "Relax, I'll explain everything later."

It was then that the dragons caught up to their riders. Mortem noticed Cloudjumper and leaned in to sniff him. But the Stormcutter backed away, a serious look on his face. He didn't trust Mortem very much, and he was definitely not as curious or playful as he was. Mortem grunted in disappointment.

It wasn't that Cloudjumper hated him, and he didn't hate Toothless either. He was a bit jealous that the Night Fury had a family, and he didn't. As for Mortem, he was a strange dragon, and Cloudjumper did not get along with strange dragons very well.

Mortem warbled, trying to apologize to the Stormcutter for his behavior.

But Cloudjumper just glared at him.

* * *

To say that Hic was scared would be an understatement.

He was absolutely _terrified_.

Despite the fact that he was wrapped up protectively in Toothless Jr.'s wings, he couldn't let go of the images of the terrifying people that had brought them there. What did they want with them? Did they know that he was there? And where were his parents? He did his best to keep quiet as the scary people brought him and Toothless Jr. on board a ship. He could hear a faint bubbling, which meant that there was something under the water. But what?

As the men dropped the net on the deck of the ship, Hic tightened his grip on Buttons. He held the stuffed dragon tightly in his arms as he heard the men around him speak.

"We found this dragon just outside our fortress, sir." "A Night Fury?" growled a dark voice that made Hic's skin crawl. Something poked in Toothless Jr.'s side, nearly giving away Hic's presence. "He'll make a fine addition to my army," said the voice. Hic had to stop himself from whimpering. "Sir!" A strange voice said suddenly, "We found some dragons!" "Bring them here, then," said the dark voice. "Uh, sir," said the other voice, "We found some people too. I think they might be...dragon riders." "Bring them here as well," said the dark voice, "Soon they'll be cowering before me." Hic stayed as still and silent as he could. His heart was pounding so hard and fast, he was afraid that they would hear it. Toothless Jr. warbled quietly, telling the boy that they would be okay. But Hic was too scared. How he wished that he was safe back home on Berk. He heard voices, one of them the deep, dark voice from earlier. As he listened, he realized that he recognized those voices.

And one of them was his mother's.

Hic gasped, but then covered his mouth.

Too late.

"What was that?" asked one of the men.

Toothless Jr. growled, trying to cover up the sound. The leader was not convinced. "Check its wings," he ordered. The men approached Toothless Jr., who growled louder. But there was nothing he could do to stop them from reaching through the net and opening his wings. Hic couldn't stop himself from whimpering. If only he hadn't gasped. One of the men suddenly grabbed his arm, causing him to scream. "There's a kid in here!" the man exclaimed, pulling Hic into view. "Bring him to me," said the leader. The men pulled Hic out of the net and carried him over to their leader. Hic held on tightly to Buttons as they led him away from Toothless Jr. He noticed his mom and the other riders, minus his father, standing nearby, with their hands tied behind their backs. The next thing he knew, he was face-to-face with the scariest person he had ever seen. He screamed.

"Oh, what's the matter?" the man asked, teasingly, "Are you scared?" Hic whimpered, clutching Buttons even tighter. "Leave him alone!" Astrid shouted. The man turned to look at her. "You dare yell at Drago Bludfist?" he asked. Astrid didn't answer. Drago pointed the staff he was holding at Hic. "Do you know this child?" Astrid gave him a look of indifference. "I have never seen him before in my life," she said. "Uh, yes you have," Tuffnut said, "That's your son, isn't it?" Astrid glared at him. If her hands weren't tied behind her back, she'd definitely punch him in the face.

Drago looked at Hic. "Is that so?" Hic whimpered again. Handing his staff to a man standing nearby, Drago snatched Buttons out of Hic's arms. "No!" Hic screamed, "Give him back! He's mine!" Drago handed Buttons to one of his men. "Dispose of this," he said, and then pointed at Hic, "And lock him up with the dragons." "And the others?" asked one of the men. "Lock them up," Drago replied.

The men began leading Hic away. He panicked when he realized they were leading him away from his mother. "No! No! Help! Lemme go! HELP!" As he was led to the cages, he screamed one last time.

"DADDY!"

* * *

**You guys probably hate me now, but I had to think of a way for all the Haddocks to end up at the nest. And if you ask me, Tuffnut was definitely being an idiot. If you leave a review that says you don't hate me, that would make me feel better.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

**As much as I hate to admit it, things will be taking turns for the worst for a while.**

* * *

Hic remained silent as Drago's men led him to one of the large traps they used for trapping unsuspecting dragons. He was silenced by the dark looks that the men were giving him, and refused to speak even once as they dropped him in one of the empty traps. Alone, in the dark, Hic crawled helplessly into the middle of the trap floor, sobbing quietly. He had thought that his father would be able to hear him crying for help, but no one had responded except for his mother, who had attempted to free herself and get to her son before she was restrained by Drago's men. Now Hic was alone, in the worst possible place he could have imagined. At the moment when he needed his father the most, there was no one to help him. He didn't understand why no one had tried to help him. He had not seen Astrid's last-ditch effort to save him, and was afraid that his parents no longer wanted him.

That they no longer loved him.

Curling up into a ball, Hic eventually cried himself to sleep. His dreams were filled with the mean people he had encountered, causing him to wake up every few minutes, only to cry and fall asleep again. He decided to never to go outside the house again.

"Hic?"

The small boy awoke at the sound of his name. He hadn't realized that he had fallen asleep. But he did notice that it was significantly less dark in the trap. Looking up, he noticed that the steel mouth-like doors to the trap had been opened about halfway, and he saw Astrid looking in at him. Hic's eyes widened, and he said in a hushed whisper, "Mommy?"

Astrid hesitated for a second, but then pulled herself up and into the trap, ran forward, and scooped up her son. Hic threw his arms around her, sobbing loudly. Astrid tightened her grip on her son, hugging him. "I thought you left me," Hic whispered, just loud enough for her to hear him. Astrid shook her head. "I'd never leave you, Hic. You're my son." "Then why didn't you try to help?" Hic asked. "I did try," Astrid said, "But I couldn't get to you." Hic's sobbing quieted until he was only shedding a few tears. "How did you get free?" he asked, stuttering. Astrid was silent for a while, trying to think of a way to explain how she and the others had been freed by one of Drago's men, a trapper by the name of Eret. She realized that it would take much more time for her to explain than they had to get out of there. "A friend helped us," she replied. "Where's Daddy?" Hic asked, "Why didn't he come help?" Astrid sighed. "Daddy's not here," she said. Hic's eyes widened with fear and anxiety. "Where is he?" Astrid shook her head. "I don't know, Hic. He could be anywhere." Hic realized that he had been wrong about his parents not loving him anymore. His mother had tried to help, but couldn't, and his father wasn't there to hear his cries for help. But for reasons only he knew, knowing that he had been wrong before didn't make him feel any better.

Clutching Hic tightly, Astrid walked out of the trap, and went to rejoin her friends.

It was time for them to find their dragons.

* * *

Mortem waited outside the Alpha's Nest, with Fera and Rex at his side. Even though he knew that Roan and Regina were back on Berk, he wasn't comfortable with leaving them by themselves. He had been waiting outside the nest ever since Stoick had found Hiccup inside. He left the nest when Stoick dragged Hiccup towards the exit. He knew that Hiccup was still unsure of what he wanted to do, and decided that if there was anyone that could get Stoick to actually listen to what Hiccup had to say, it was him.

But Stoick and Hiccup still hadn't left the nest.

But a male Hobblegrunt, who was acting rather strange, did emerge from the cave entrance.

"_Are you okay?_" Mortem asked as the Hobblegrunt barely avoided a hanging icicle. "_Fine,_" the Hobblegrunt replied. Mortem noticed that the dragon seemed unsure of where his voice had come from. "_Really? 'Cause you're acting kinda strange._" The Hobblegrunt sighed. "_Common misunderstanding,_" he muttered. "_What?_" Mortem asked in confusion. The Hobblegrunt turned his head in the direction of Mortem's voice.

"_I'm blind._"

Mortem's eyes widened, and he bowed his head. "_I'm so sorry. I...I didn't realize..._" "_It's alright,_" the blind Hobblegrunt replied, "_Newcomers can get confused._" "_What is he talking about?_" Rex asked suddenly. Fera looked at the Hobblegrunt, and then turned to look at Rex. "_Gruff is blind,_" she said, "_He can't see._"

The Hobblegrunt, Gruff, shrugged. "_I don't mind,_" he said, "_Even without my eyesight, I'm quite happy. No Dragon Trappers here!_" "_But doesn't that make it hard for you to serve the Alpha?_" Mortem asked. "_It could,_" Gruff replied, "_That is, if I lose my hearing too._" Mortem couldn't even imagine how a deaf-blind dragon would be able to communicate with others, let alone navigate themselves. As far as he was concerned, a dragon that was deaf and blind would probably not survive. "_So, even if you can't see, the Alpha can still get to you through your hearing?_" Rex asked. Gruff gave a slight nod. "_He can._" "_What if the Alpha is not a Bewilderbeast?_" Mortem asked. Gruff shook his head. "_We've never had an Alpha that wasn't a Bewilderbeast,_" he said. Mortem shrugged. "_Just asking._"_  
_

Gruff then turned back towards the entrance to the cave. "_I hate to leave,_" he said, spreading his wings so that he could feel where he was going, "_But I'm sure that my savior is wondering where I am by now._" He then walked down the tunnel, the tips of his wings brushing against the walls. Mortem sighed. "_I feel sorry for him._" "_Everyone in the nest does,_" Fera replied. "_I don't blame him,_" Mortem said, "_I'm sure the others all know how he feels._"

Fera suddenly stiffened. She turned to see a whole army of ships approaching the shore of the nest. "_The trappers are here!"_ she shouted, startling both Mortem and Rex. The little Bewilderbeast dragonet hid behind his mother. "_What do we do?_" he asked. Fera turned to Mortem. "_Call for your father!_" Mortem nodded, and leaned his head towards the entrance to the nest. He then let out a loud roar, which echoed throughout the entire nest. Fera then headed for the shore, with Rex following. "_I'll warn my father and rally the dragons,_" she said, "_Rex, stay in the nest._" Rex nodded without hesitating. "_What do I do now?_" Mortem asked. Fera glanced at him. "_Keep them busy,_" she said, "_We need all the time and help we can get._" She and Rex then dived into the water, and they both swam into the nest, hoping that there was enough time to stop the incoming threat.

* * *

**Hic just went through a very traumatic childhood experience, which is where his anxiety about going out into the world will come from. The next chapter will cover the battle, with the outcomes turning out differently than in the movie, which I'm sure you all know already. Please leave me a review, and in the meantime, I'll try to keep in touch as best I can.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

**Big battle and sadly, some character deaths. I'm never gonna live this down.**

* * *

Benignus could sense that something was wrong even before Fera and Rex emerged into the nest from underwater. And when they told him that Drago had arrived, he did not hesitate to lead them out of the nest. Instead of taking the underwater tunnel, however, he crashed through the ice that he had used to make the roof of the nest. "_Why did you do that?_" Fera asked her father. Benignus shook his head. "_Every now and then, you've got to make an entrance,_" he said. Fera climbed past her father and went to meet Mortem, who was setting the ships on fire with his flaming breath. She nudged him gently with one of her tusks, and he turned to look at her.

"_What took you so long?_" he asked, jokingly. Fera shrugged. "_Just catching up with my Dad,_" she said, and gestured to Benignus. Mortem's six eyes all widened at the sight of the mighty Bewilderbeast. "_That's you father?!_" he asked in complete surprise. Fera chuckled and ruffled her frills.

"_Now you know where I get my good looks!_"

Mortem shrugged before he resumed shooting fire at Drago's ships. Fera shook her head before she rejoined her father. It was time to defend the nest.

It wasn't long before the rest of the Haddock family arrived on their dragons. Mortem smiled. With the whole family working together, there was no doubt that they would be able to beat the dragon trappers.

But what they didn't know was that Drago hadn't revealed his entire army.

The next thing any of them knew, there was a loud growl, and a large dark dragon emerged from the ocena.

Tyranno.

The evil Bewilderbeast stomped onto shore, not caring about the dragon traps that he was stepping on. "_I've waited a long time for this, Benignus,_" he said with a growl. "_Tyranno, please,_" Benignus pleaded, "_It doesn't have to be this way. You don't have to do this._" Tyranno growled, and then he roared loudly. Benignus sighed. He had no choice but to fight his brother. He held out a wing to prevent Fera from interfering before Tyranno charged at him. Benignus lowered his head as Tyranno crashed into him, trying to knock him down. But the mighty Alpha held his ground, and pushed his challenger away. But Tyranno didn't give up easily. He roared again before Benignus reared up on his hind legs and rammed him from above._  
_

Fera hid Rex behind her wing as the two brothers continued their brawl for control of the nest. Mortem soon joined them in watching, and realized that Benignus was fighting to keep both the nest and his family safe. Even though he believed his fire breath would have been useful, he knew that this battle was Benignus's to fight.

It wasn't long before the two Bewilderbeasts locked their tusks, trying to push each other back. But Tyranno still had one trick left. Using what strength he had, he pushed his tusks to the side and flipped Benignus onto his side. This was what the evil dragon had been waiting for. Reeling back, he plunged his tusks forward into the belly of the fallen Alpha.

"_NO!_" Fera roared. Benignus went still as Tyranno removed his blood-covered tusks and roared in triumph. Unable to believe what had just occured, Fera ran to Benignus's side. "_Father?_" she asked, hoping for a response. Benignus was barely alive. He was somehow able to make out the blurred vision of his daughter. "_Protect your family,_" he said, weakly, "_Tyranno must be defeated. Protect your family._" He then went silent, and his body went limp.

Benignus the Alpha was no longer alive.

Fera gasped before she bowed her head sadly. She had just lost her father. Her REAL father. The only one who truly understood her. There was a loud roar, and Fera turned to see Tyranno on his hind legs, surrounded by the dragons from the nest. But instead of attacking him, they bowed to him.

Tyranno was now the Alpha.

Fera stared at the scene before her in fear and confusion before her features darkened with anger and rage. She lunged at Tyranno.

"_You monster!_"

Tyranno was rammed in the stomach by the angry Bewilderbeast. Fera had never felt so angry before. The evil dragon who had once claimed to have cared for her had gone and killed one of the most important dragons in her life. She would avenge her father if it was the last thing she would do. But Tyranno was an older, stronger dragon, and could beat her in battle. Mortem realized this, and as soon as he had gotten over his sadness over the loss of Benignus, he soon joined the battle.

The two dragons took turns landing one attack after the other on Tyranno, but even then was he too strong. Surely these two adolescents knew better than to challenge him at his own game. But he still didn't know that Mortem's breed could breathe fire. And he did realize that when the Red Death scorched his back with a powerful flame. Tyranno grunted and moved to attack him, whacking Fera with his tail while doing so.

After realizing what Tyranno had just done, Mortem sank his teeth into Tyranno's leg, hoping to slow him down. But that only made the evil Alpha angrier. He roared loudly, catching the attention of every being on the island.

This battle had only just gotten started.

* * *

Hiccup, meanwhile, had been trying to convince Drago that there could be peace between people and dragons. But his words only fell on deaf ears, as Drago had encouraged Tyranno to kill Benignus for the title of Alpha. Now with the three giant dragons battling, Hiccup hoped that he could somehow show Drago that there were better things to fight for. And Mortem and Fera were the perfect examples for him.

But Drago still wouldn't listen.

They were interrupted by a loud roar, as Tyranno knocked Fera to the ground and began ramming Mortem into the damaged nest. The Red Death tried to hold on, his teeth now at Tyranno's neck, but the Bewilderbeast was too strong. Mortem winced as his back slammed into the icy outer walls of the nest, the ice beginning to crack under the pressure. In no time, the nest would collapse entirely.

If he wasn't killed first.

Mortem released his grip on Tyranno's neck and roared a warning to the other dragons. Seeing the growing danger, the dragons retreated to the shore in hopes of avoiding the collapsing nest. Toothless noticed the danger, and with one swift movement, he threw Hiccup onto his back and started to follow the other dragons.

"Toothless, what's wrong?" Hiccup asked as he tried to get a good grip on the saddle. He looked up and noticed that the nest was starting to collapse. Huge chunks of ice were raining down, many of them were bigger than twenty Monstrous Nightmares. Hiccup franticly tried to click his prosthetic leg into the stirrup, but with no success.

Toothless suddenly changed direction, heading further inland. He had sensed a being in danger. And that being was none other than Hic. He had fallen off of Toothless Jr.'s back while the dragons had retreated, and was now in the path of a large chunk of ice that was about to break off. Hiccup noticed his small son in trouble, and urged Toothless forward. Leaning in the saddle, Hiccup just managed to scoop up his son before Toothless changed his direction back toward the shore.

Hic hugged his father tightly, more terrified than he had ever been in his life. There was a loud cracking noise, and the giant chunk of ice broke away from the nest.

"DADDY!"

Hiccup turned to see the ice chunk falling down toward them. He tried to get his foot in the stirrup, but with Toothless bounding so fast, he was unable to keep himself steady enough.

Stoick noticed his son and grandson in danger, and without thinking, he ran to them. The chief and the Night Fury grew closer to one another as they ran in perpendicular directions. Stoick shouted, catching the attention of the Night Fury and his riders, before he shoved them hard.

Hiccup and his son were thrown off of Toothless's back at the force of the shove, but Toothless was able to catch them and wrap them up in his wings before they hit the ground. The giant ice structure finally made contact with the ground, crushing Stoick, and anything else that had failed to get out of its path.

* * *

**I know there's not a lot of talking, but hey, I finished it! I know that some of you probably hate me right now, and that's understandable. I'm sorry if I have angered any of you, and I promise that the story WILL get better! In the meantime, please leave me a review to tell me your opinion (and whether you hate me or not).**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

**This is the chapter where things begin to look up. And don't worry, there's lots more dialogue in this one! Consider it my New Year's gift to you guys.**

* * *

Mortem watched in horror as the giant ice chunk crushed the chief, and a pang of guilt struck him. Had he done that? Had he caused the giant chunk to crush Stoick? Maybe if he hadn't been attacking Tyranno...

Fera had also seen the ice fall, and she knew for a fact that it wasn't Mortem's fault. But Mortem was a very insecure dragon. Convincing him that it wasn't his fault wouldn't be easy. Especially when it involved someone's well-being.

Mortem slowly lay down in front of the remains of the nest, and lowered his head to the ground. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed a Night Fury curled protectively around something. It didn't take long for him to realize that it was Toothless, but his depression and guilt prevented him from helping the black dragon.

Toothless was dazed, but very much alive, and curled protectively around his rider, who in turn was clutching his son close to him. The Night Fury slowly unfurled his wings to reveal an unconscious Hiccup lying on the ground, with Hic curled up in his arms. Toothless's eyes widened in alarm, and he urgently nuzzled his friend, hoping for some form of response. Hic felt the dragon's gentle probing and hesitantly opened his eyes to see the unconscious form of his father holding him close. His own eyes widening, Hic clambered out of Hiccup's arms and leaned in close to his face.

"Daddy?"

There was a groan, and Hiccup's eyes opened. His vision faded in and out of focus before he realized who was loooking down at him.

"Hic?"

The next thing Hiccup knew, Hic was hugging his neck and sobbing into his shoulder. Hiccup hesitated before he embraced the small boy. "It's okay, Hic, I've got you." Hic's sobbing increased in volume, and he pushed himself closer to his father's body, seeking much-needed comfort from the maddness that had occurred.

Toothless hesitated before he folded his wing over the two humans, providing his own comfort against the maddness that was Drago Bludfist. But it did not last long, as Tyranno soon gained control over the Night Fury, and Toothless promptly left his friend to serve the new Alpha. Hiccup watched helplessly as his friend left. His attention turned back to Hic as the small boy continued to sob into his father's shoulder. There was a loud sorrowful warble, and Hiccup turned to see Mortem lying on the ground, wounded and depressed. Hiccup slowly got to his feet and stared at the giant dragon in confusion. His eyes suddenly fell on the giant chunk of ice, and remembered that Stoick had been there to push him out of the way. Realizing what the dragon was thinking, Hiccup ran to meet the goliath.

"Mortem!"

The dragon was unfazed by the sound of his name, as he cast his eyes downward in embarassment and guilt. Stopping only to set Hic down on a nearby rock, Hiccup soon reached the giant scaly creature that was his adopted son. "Mortem, listen to me, it wasn't your fault! It was the Alpha. You'd never hurt him." But Mortem was barely listening. There was no possible way that Stoick could have survived that, and they both knew it. "You're not a killer, Mortem," Hiccup said, trying to hold in his tears, "You didn't kill him. It's not your fault..." Mortem refused to look at his father, his warbling growing deep and even more sad. Breathing heavily, Hiccup leaned against Mortem's scaly hide as tears streemed down his cheeks. "You're not a bad dragon, Mortem." Pressing his forehead against the scales of the giant dragon, Hiccup finished his plea in a whisper.

"You're my son."

The Dragon Riders, including Astrid and Valka, watched the scene unfold before them. Draco and Camicazi hid behind their mother's legs as they watched their father try to reason with their brother, their hearts heavy with saddness and fear.

Fera was lying nearby, next to the lifeless body of her father, mourning for the loss of the two great leaders.

* * *

Mortem remained unrespondent for the rest of the day, watching with a heavy heart as the Riders dug out the lifeless body of Stoick the Vast with Gobber and Eret's assitance. His depressed state worsened when he saw them ship off the body in one of the remaining boats, and set it ablaze with flaming arrows. Turning away from the cremation of the chief, Mortem found himself face-to-snout with Rex.

"_Why are you so sad?_" the young heir asked innocently. Mortem sighed. "_This is all my fault. I was only trying to help Fera avenge her father. I never should have._" "_But then what would have happened?_" Rex asked. Though he wasn't nearly old enough to begin training for Alpha, he was smart enough to know that Mortem hadn't been the cause of Stoick's downfall. And he also knew that if Mortem hadn't tried to help Fera, things might have turned out worse than it was already.

Fera heard her son speaking, and realized that he was right. All they could do now was find a way to stop Tyranno and Drago from taking over Berk. They had left for the island hours ago, and there was no doubt they were more than halfway there by then. Leaving the body of her father, Fera stood up and walked over to Mortem. "_We have to stop Drago before he destroys Berk._" "_But how?_" Mortem asked. They had no other dragons to assist them. Even Toothless and Stormfly had left. "_I have a plan,_" Fera said confidently, "_But we need to work fast. The longer we take, the more time we give Drago to take over._" Mortem sighed before sitting up on his haunches.

"_I'm in._"

By the time that Fera had laid out her plan, Hiccup had already led the other Riders back to Berk on the backs of the baby Scuttleclaws. The Nadder-like dragons were too young to obey anyone, including the Alpha, giving them an advantage. Mortem pointed out their absence shortly after Fera had finished explaining her plan. "_We'll help them later,_" she said, "_All we have to do is gather the troops._"

* * *

A faint blue glow was visible on the inside ofthe rocky cave, which quickly got brighter as a glowing dragon made its way out of the mountain that was its home. Its eyes immediately fell on the two Bewilderbeasts and Red Death that had woken it up from its slumber. "_What do you want?_" the Flightmare asked in a grumpy tone of voice. "_We need your help to fight Drago Bludfist,_" Fera said. The Flightmare hesitated before nodding.

"_Consider the great Glowwyrm in!_"

* * *

The Speed Stinger pack was out hunting again that night when a giant figure blocked their path. Looking up, they saw Mortem gazing down at them. "_Think you guys can lend me a few helping talons?_" he asked. The Lead Stinger stepped forward. "_On one condition,_" he hissed, "_You help us find a new home._" "_Only if you promise not to harm any of the humans on Berk,_" Mortem said. The Lead Stinger hesitated before nodding.

"_Deal._"

* * *

"_We need your help, Mr. Smokebreath,_" Rex said to the leader of the Smothering Smokebreaths. The small, purple dragon shrugged. "_What's in it for us?_" he asked. "_You can use the armor of the battle dragons to make a new nest,_" Rex suggested. The Smokebreath thought for a minute before nodding.

"_You've got yourself a deal._"

* * *

Thornado was woken up from his sleep by a deep warble. After making sure that Bing, Bam, and Boom were still asleep, he went to check out the entrance to their cave. He noticed Mortem standing over him, and asked, "_What out you doing out here so late?_" Mortem shrugged.

"_Care to avange an old friend?_"

* * *

The Screaming Death stretched out on the cliff that overlooked his island home, yawning widely. Just before he could relax his coils, he noticed a whole group of dragons, including Mortem, Fera, and Rex; looking up at him. Without hesitating, he smiled.

"_I'm in._"

* * *

"_Okay, everyone,_" Fera said, "_You all know the plan. Smoke and his brothers will provide cover, while Glowwyrm and Albino do the distraction. The Speed Stigners and the Thunderdrums will be the backup, while me and Mortem are the front line. If anything gets past us, they'll have deal with Thornado and the Pack. Any questions?_"

Glowwyrm raised her wing. "_Besides anything that has to do with your food supply,_" Fera added. Glowwyrm quickly lowered her wing. Fera nodded.

"_Then let's do it!_"

* * *

**Better? I certainly hope so! Don't worry, dragons that are loyal to a different Bewilderbeast should be able to ignore Tyranno's hypnotism. Though I'm not entirely sure. Please leave a review, and I'll get back to you.**

**That rhymes!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

**Now the battle for Berk!**

* * *

It took a while, but Mortem, Fera, and Rex made it to Berk. The island was being frozen by Tyranno's ice breath. "_Split up,_" Fera said to the other dragons, "_Bu__y time until we can get close._" Glowwyrm and Albino split from the group and flew towards the evil Alpha. "_I'll get the madman,_" Glowwyrm snarled, charging up her paralyzing breath. "_And I'll distract Tyranno,_" Albino growled.

Tyranno took no notice of them at first, as he was trying to keep his hypnotic powers on Toothless. But even a Bewilderbeast would feel a Screaming Death's spines shoot into its rear. Despite the pain, however, he kept his hypnotic stare on the Night Fury. Glowwyrm flew high above the Alpha, keeping her eyes on her target. She was momentarily distracted by the sight of Hiccup on the back of one of the baby Scuttleclaws, trying to talk to Toothless, but she was able to turn her attention back to Drago. She went into a dive, accelerating quickly, not taking her eyes off of the madman. Just before she could reach him, however, Toothless suddenly threw him off. Glowwyrm shrieked in surprise before hastily pulling up out of the dive, just barely missing the Night Fury. "_Keep Tyranno busy__!_" she said to Albino, who was firing his fireballs at the Alpha. He gave a slight nod before shooting his spines into the dark Bewilderbeast's hide. Tyranno found it hard to ignore the pain. He turned to Albino, and was about to use his ice breath when a concussive sound wave hit him in the head. Thornado soon joined Albino.

"_Strike and retreat! He hates that!_"

All the dragons took turns firing shots at Tyranno, who thrashed wildly, trying to attack them. But they were moving too quickly to give him a chance to counter their attacks. He roared in anger.

Glowwyrm, meanwhile, had used her paralyzing breath on Drago, and was able to grab his stick while he was paralyzed. But she momentarily forgot that the effects of her breath were only temporary, as she was knocked away by a recovered Drago before she could destroy the stick. Drago pointed his stick at Glowwyrm, signaling Tyranno to blast her with his ice breath. But before Tyranno could take a breath, Fera rammed into his side, causing him to stumble a bit.

Again and again the dragons fired shots at Tyranno, trying to drive him off. They were supposed to protect the island until Fera and Mortem were able to drive him away for good. But their attacks were endured by the Alpha, as he fired his ice breah in every direction possible. At one point, he was able to clip one of Albino's wings, causing the mutated dragon to crash land on Berk.

Mortem watched the battle unfold from behind a giant piece of ice. Hidden behind his head were Hiccup and Toothless. The giant dragon warbled quietly. Hiccup patted Mortem's skin. "We're okay, Big Guy." Toothless, now free from Tyranno's control, snorted in agreement. Mortem's expression changed to determination, and he glanced at Tyranno. Now it was his turn to challenge the Alpha. With one mighty flap of his wings, he was in the air, and Hiccup quickly mounted Toothless, and the Night Fury took off.

Tyranno heard the sound of beating wings, and turned just in time to see a clubbed tail hit him in the head. There was a loud splash, and Mortem landed in the water next to him, letting out a mighty roar before turning to face his rival.

"_You don't know when to give up, do you?_" Tyranno asked with a glare. "_You can say anything you want,_" Mortem growled, "_But you're not going to make me change my mind. Benignus died trying to protect his family. If I have to do the same, then so be it. If you want to take Berk, you'll have to get through me!_"

Tyranno's glare intensified, and he took a deep breath before shooting ice at Mortem. But Mortem was ready. Without hesitating, he shot flames at Tyranno's icy breath, the two attacks meeting and canceling each other out. At first, it looked even, but Mortem's flames gradually began to overpower Tyranno's ice. Seeing that he had a disadvantage, Tyranno quickly redirected his icy breath towards Berk, freezing the land over.

As the two goliaths clashed, the other dragons played keep-away with Drago's staff. The Lead Stinger zipped to and fro, the staff in his jaws, before passing it to the Smokebreaths, who proceeded to temporarily blind Drago with their fog breath.

Fera soon joined the battle by ramming into Tyranno, turning his attention to her instead of Mortem. Tyranno proceeded to smack Morteem with his tail. But the Red Death wasn't finished yet. He let out a loud roar, signaling Hiccup and Toothless. The two friends proceeded to blast Tyranno with multiple plasma blasts, before landing on Berk in front of Drago. The dragons mometarily stopped passing the staff to each other and waited to see what would occur.

Mortem could barely hear what they were saying, as he was trying to subdue Tyranno. But what the Alpha did made him literally freeze in his tracks, as the evil dragon suddenly fired his icy breath at Hiccup and Toothless. The Night Fury lunged forward to protect his friend before the two of them were encased in an icy prison. Mortem stared in horror at what had just occured. His father was gone. Breathing heavily, the Red Death shut his eyes. When he opened them, they were no longer the gentle, caring eyes that he had looked upon Hiccup with on the day of his birth. They were overflowing with rage and anger. And only one word crossed through Mortem's head as he glared at Tyranno.

_Kill._

Before anyone could react, Mortem lunged at Tyranno, sinking his teeth into his neck and biting down hard. Tyranno roared in extreme pain, and tried to shake Mortem off. But the Red Death's grip was tight, and nothing could shake him off. Mortem noticed Drago jump onto one of Tyranno's tusks, and with one swing of his paw, he knocked the madman away. Drago slammed into a wall, and a large icicle broke loose and fell down toward him. Both people and dragons alike turned away from the sight of the sharp piece of ice impaling the villain.

Tyranno went limp. His master was gone. He was free now. But he was also in the jaws of a mad Red Death that wanted to kill him as revenge for killing Hiccup.

Hic was terrified of the sight of his dragon brother trying to end the life of the tyranical ruler. And he wasn't the only one that was worried. His brother, sister, and mother were all shocked at Mortem's strange behavior. "I've never seen Mortem so vicious," Astrid said to herself as she watched the assault.

Mortem ignored her voice as he clawed at Tyranno's limbs, drawing blood. Nothing could stop him.

After what seemed like hours of ruthless attacks, a strong blast of fire shot Tyranno near the mouth. The force of the blast blew Tyranno out of Mortem's jaws, and crashing into the water. Mortem turned to see Toothless, glowing with the same blue energy of his plasma blasts. And standing behind him was none other than Hiccup.

Mortem's eyes softened at the sight of his father. He had been alive the entire time. The dragon's rage quickly earased, his own personality returning. All of that rage and anger, being driven to attack ruthlessly from the anguish and pain of possibly losing his parent...wasted. Mortem nearly fell over, but before he knew it, Fera was there, supporting him. His eyes fell on Tyranno, still alive, lying in the water. Regaining his footing, Mortem slowly walked toward the fallen Alpha.

Tyranno watched calmly as the Red Death approached him. He was free from Drago, but he wasn't free from the sins he had committed. He'd never be free from the burdens and the pain that he had experienced, he'd never be free from the image of his brother's lifeless body, and most importantly of all, he'd never be free from his guilt. Looking up into Mortem's eyes, he whispered one last command.

"_Kill me._"

Eyes widening, Mortem staggered backward at what Tyranno had said. "_No. No, I...I can't. I can't!_" Tyranno sighed, letting his head slump to the ocean floor, willing to accept his fate. Mortem shut his eyes tight. He couldn't kill Tyranno. Not after all of the pain and suffering that they'd all been through. Tyranno was free now, why would he want Mortem to kill him? Mortem suddenly realized that Tyranno had done countless evil deeds under Drago's control, and that he'd never be able to make up for all of it if he lived. Mortem hesitated before firing powerful flames at Tyranno.

Both human and dragon alike stared in shock as the flames began to consume Tyranno. The Alpha dragon didn't roar as the flames spread over his body, as he sighed at the thought of finally being free. Just before he blacked out, he whispered one last thing to Mortem.

"_Thank you._"

And with that, Tyranno finally passed on.

Mortem could barely stand up as the once-evil dragon died in the flames he had made. He had been hoping, in that moment, that maybe there had been a way to let Tyranno go without any further pain. Moaning in guilt, Mortem lowered his head onto the ledge where his family was watching. He soon noticed Hiccup running to meet him. This time, Mortem lifted his paw and drew a message in the dirt.

HE TOLD ME TO KILL HIM.

Hiccup calmly read the message before approaching Mortem. The giant dragon didn't flinch as his father laid a hand on his snout. "You're not a killer, Mortem," Hiccup said gently, "You only wanted to protect us. You did what you could." Mortem pointed to the message he had written, his eyes filled with sorrow and guilt. Hiccup sighed before attempting to hug his son. "Nothing will ever change who you are," he said, "You're still my son." He paused before stating in a clear voice, "I love you, Mortem."

All of the pain and guilt lifted away as Mortem realized that his father was right. Overjoyed, Mortem nuzzled Hiccup, nearly making him fall over. Hiccup laughed before Toothless bounded over to meet them. Hiccup smiled at the Night Fury. "You never cease to amaze me, bud." He then embraced his friend.

"Thank you."

Toothless crooned before pulling away and starting to lick his rider. Mortem rolled his eyes before leaning down to take in a mouthful of water. This time, Hiccup was expecting it. Raising his head above his father, Mortem dumped the water out of his mouth before igniting a fire and drying Hiccup off.

"_Father!_"

Mortem turned towards the sound of warbling to see Roan and Regina bounding toward him. Both dragonets were unharmed, and they were very happy to see him. Mortem gladly embraced them in his wings, crooning softly. There was a growl, and Mortem turned to see Cloudjumper looking up at him.

"_I was wrong about you,_" the Stormcutter said, "_You had every right to fight as we did, and you had every right to be given a chance to fit in. I'm sorry for the way I acted._" Mortem shrugged. "_I've been treated like that a lot in my life,_" he said. Before he could say anyhing else, Cloudjumper bowed to him. "_It would be my honor to serve you,...my Alpha._"

Mortem's eyes widened with realization. He was the Alpha now. He turned to Hiccup, wanting to tell him the news, but noticed that he was already reuniting with the rest of his family. Fera approached Mortem and nudged his side. "_You'll make a good Alpha,_" she said. Mortem smiled.

"_What are they doing?_"

Mortem turned to see Roan, Regina, and Rex all staring at something. Following their gazes, Mortem noticed Hiccup and Astrid kissing. Eyes widening instantly, Mortem covered his children's eyes with his wing. "_Dad!_" they all whined. Mortem shook his head. "_I'll explain when you're all older._"

All the other dragons, having witnessed the events, all walked up behind Cloudjumper, their eyes fixed on Mortem. The Red Death, not caring if his parents were no longer kissing or not, lowered his wing and looked down at all of them. The dragons all hesitated before bowing down to Mortem. Feeling proud, Mortem held his head high. He could hear Gobber announce something, but it was soon drowned out by the dragons' roars of triumph.

"_Long live the Alpha!_"

* * *

**Yeah, I know. I didn't really remember the movie much, so I had the previous chapters in the dragons' perspective, but the next chapter will be back on the human members of the Haddock family, I can promise you that. And just for future reference, I was never really on board with the idea of Hiccup being chief and everything. It just doesn't sound like him. Anyone else agree?**

**Anyway, you can go ahead and leave a review if you want.**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

**Now back to the humans.**

* * *

It was only a few days after Drago had been defeated, and Hic refused to go outside the house ever since his scary encounter with the madman.

He spent his time with Heather, who had to go out every now and then to assist Hiccup and Astrid with certain duties. The young woman had grown out of her shyness, and was now ready to help whenever someone needed it.

But Hic was nowhere near as brave. The little two-year-old had been frightened too much. But it wasn't enough to keep him away from grown-ups that he knew. He had already met Valka, and he knew that he could trust her to keep him safe when his parents weren't there. But Eret still creeped him out, since he had served Dragon before. Every time the man was within his view, or when he stopped by, Hic would run and hide in his room. And it didn't help that he no longer had Buttons to comfort with. How much he wanted his toy, but there was no doubt that Drago had gotten rid of it.

Heather was out helping Hic's parents with repairing the village, and Draco and Camicazi were in their room. Draco was reading the newly-updated Book of Dragons, and Camicazi was sharpening her axe. Toothless and the other dragons had to help with the repairs, leaving Hic alone in his room.

But it didn't last long.

Hic heard the front door opening, and he knew that his parents were home. Hiccup was one to always put his family before his duties, and he and Astrid had agreed to check on the kids every few hours.

Astrid wasn't surprised to find Hic alone in his room, since he had been there ever since his encounter with Drago. But she knew that he couldn't stay there forever. Catching his mother's gaze, Hic turned away to face the wall. But Astrid knew better. She walked over and sat on the floor next to her son. "Do you need anything, Hic?" she asked gently. Hic shook his head. Astrid sighed. "You can't stay in here forever you know." "Yes I can," Hic muttered. "Don't say that," Astrid said, "You know you can't stay here." "But they're going to get me," Hic said, his eyes filling with tears. "Who's going to get you?" Astrid asked. "The big meanies!" Hic cried, bursting into tears. Astrid was confused for a minute before she realized what Hic was talking about. She nodded. "I see." Hic sniffled. "They're coming to get me!"

Astrid sighed once again. "No one's coming to get you, Hic," she said, "Daddy and Mortem drove them all away. They can't hurt you now." "But they took Buttons!" Hic cried. Astrid was silent for a few minutes. She wasn't sure what to tell him. "I want him back," Hic whimpered. Astrid sighed. "I'm not sure if we can get him back, Hic." "But I want him back!" Hic sobbed, tears streaming down his cheeks. Not sure of what else she could do, Astrid hugged her son close. Hic pressed up against her, trying to get as close as possible. Astrid started to stroke his hair, hugging him tighter. "It's okay, I've got you. It's okay." Hic stopped sobbing long enough to ask his mother a question.

"Where's Daddy?"

"He's with Draco and Cami," Astrid replied, "He'll be right here." "Are you sure?" Hic asked. Astrid sighed before standing up, still holding Hic. "Do you want to see him?" she askd. Hic nodded. The next thing he knew, he was being handed to another person. Fearing that it could be a stranger, he started to struggle.

"Are you okay, Hic?"

Hic knew that voice. He opened his eyes and looked up to see that he was in the arms of his father. "Daddy," he breathed, before hugging his father as tight as he could. Hiccup didn't hesitate to hug his son close. "It's okay. It's okay, I've got you. It's alright." Hic started to whimper. "I'm scared, Daddy." "I know," Hiccup said, "It's okay, I'm right here. I'm right here wth you." Hic's whimpering soon died down at the sound of his father's words. "Better?" Hiccup asked. Hic nodded.

"I love you, Daddy."

Hiccup froze for a few seconds before smiling. That wasn't the first time Hic had said that to him, but it had been a while since he had said it. "I love you too," he said, hugging his son close.

"I hate to interrupt," said a voice, "But may I come in?"

Hiccup and Astrid turned to see Eret standing in the open doorway. Hiccup had accidentally left the door open in his rush to check on his kids. Without waiting for a response, Eret began to approach Hiccup. Hic's eyes widened, and he tried to hide from the man that was coming toward him. Eret had a hand behind his back, and when he was just an arm's length away, he held his hand out. "I believe I have something that belongs to you," he said to Hic, holding out a stuffed dragon toy. Hic recognized it immediately.

"Buttons!"

Hic reached out and grabbed the toy without hesitation, hugging it close. Hiccup nodded at Eret. "Thank you." Eret gave a slight nod before turning to leave.

Hic paid no attention to the grown-ups, all he could think about was how good it felt to have Buttons back.

* * *

Hic woke up, screaming. He clutched Buttons tight as he sat up in his bed. He had been having nightmares ever since the battle with Drago, and each one seemed more terrifying than the last. He had dreamt that Toothless couldn't get to Hiccup in time, and the entire cliff was frozen over. Tyranno then crushed all of the ice and stabbed Mortem and Fera with his tusks, with Drago laughing evilly all the while.

Hic's breathing quickened as his memory of the dream played over and over in his mind. Tears began to fill his eyes as he clutched Buttons tightly, trying to get over the scary images in his head. He needed comfort. And he knew where he could find it. He crawled out of bed and started to walk to his parents' room. Normally Hiccup was out late working, but this time he was asleep with Astrid.

Hesitating slightly, Hic jumped up into his parents' bed, and tried to shake Hiccup awake. Hiccup stirred in his sleep, and his eyes opened. "Hic?" The boy turned away, ashamed. Hiccup wrapped his arm around his son. "What's wrong?" Hic hesitated before muttering under his breath, "I had a bad dream." Hiccup sighed before hugging him close. "I'm sorry you had a bad dream. Are you okay?" Hic shrugged. "How long has this been going on?" Hiccup asked. Hic didn't answer at first. "Since the scary man got here."

That's what Hiccup had assumed, but he always preferred to have the kids tell him themselves. "He's not going to hurt you, Hic. He can't hurt you anymore." "Really?" Hic asked. Hiccup nodded. "No one's going to hurt you." Hic sniffled. "Promise?" Hiccup pulled away and placed a kiss in his son's hair. "I promise."

Neither of them noticed that Astrid was awake until she rolled over and embraced them. Hiccup smiled at her. He knew that the experience had affected them all, but they would all pull through.

Hic noticed his parents and tried to pretend he was asleep. If they were going to do what he thought, he didn't want to see it.

Hiccup had somehow forgotten that Hic was with them, but Astrid didn't seem to care. Now they could finally make up for lost time. They both leaned in until their foreheads were touching. "I love you," Hiccup whispered to her. Astrid smiled. "I love you too." Without hesitating, she closed the gap between them, kissing her husband softly on the lips.

Moaning quietly in disgust, Hic buried his face into his father's chest, all the while holding on to Buttons. He still hadn't gotten over his bad experince, but he knew that his parents could help him.

Someday, he'd be brave enough to be a hero, just like his father.

* * *

**I can't believe I typed a whole chapter in ONE DAY! Not too shabby for a comeback right? Anyone agree? I hope that I get some good reviews, 'cause I'm like, "what happened to all my readers?" No offense, really, it's just...well, this story doesn't seem to be attracting too much attention.**

**Hopefully some more writing will make me feel better. *wink**

**Leave me a friendly review!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

**Now to make up for all those chapters that didn't have moments of our favorite pairing. And be prepared to laugh your head off at what Draco does!**

* * *

Things pretty much returned to normal on Berk in about a few weeks. Well, as normal as it was for the people who lived there. There was still some small chunks of ice here and there, but it was normal otherwise.

Mortem was able to get used to his new role as Alpha, and even his family called him that out of affection. At Mortem's request, Fera and Rex built an ice cave similar to that of the old one to honor Benignus. The dragons at first refused to stay, but eventually agreed after realizing how much had been done for their old leader.

Draco was pretty much living in a dream. He was surrounded by new dragons that hadn't been documented, and there was even a pack of Speed Stingers for him to study. He only stopped writing down information to eat and sleep, he didn't even stop to bathe himself. Draco didn't hate baths, but he didn't love them either. Especially when he'd rather be studying the dragons.

It was because of Draco's lack of human interaction that had given Astrid the idea for him to attend a meeting with Hiccup. It seemed like a good idea, but Draco was often one to blurt out embarrassing information about people at the wrong time. He didn't mean to, but it was hard for him to keep all of his thoughts to himself. Especially if he wanted to teach other, younger children about dragons someday.

Draco didn't hate spending time with his father, the fact was he was too busy. Well, whenever Draco wanted to do something, Hiccup had some duties to attend. And whenever Hiccup wanted to spend time with Draco, the boy couldn't tear himself away from the Book of Dragons. They were able to dismiss those times, but they both knew that it couldn't keep up for very long.

Draco also hadn't been in the Great Hall for quite some time. But that wasn't what was making him nervous. One of the Speed Stingers had laid an egg, and he wanted to be there to see it hatch. Hopefully this meeting wouldn't be too long.

It took a while for all to take their seats, and it took even longer for them to quiet down. But once the Great Hall was quiet, Hiccup took the opportunity to speak up.

"I'd like to thank you all for coming, and before we start the meeting, is there anything that any of you would like to say?"

There was silence at first, but Draco suddenly raised his hand. "I want to say something, but I..." "It's okay," Hiccup said, "No one's stopping you, Draco." Hearing this, the boy didn't hesitate to walk up so that he was standing next to his father. He pointed to Hiccup's hair. "The little braids in his hair? He totally hates them." Hiccup's eyes instantly widened as the Vikings began to mutter amongst themselves. "Now, hold on a second..." Hiccup's sentence was cut off by Draco finishing his statement. "In fact, the only reason he keeps them in his hair is because Mom's the one who braids them."

"DRACO!"

The boy ignored his father's shout and continued to talk.

"That's not all. He was also uncomfortable with Hic being named after him because he thinks that his name is..."

That's when Hiccup panicked and quickly covered Draco's mouth to keep him from talking. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" He paused before stating, "You're supposed to say things about yourself. Not other people, especially me!"

"I have something to say," Snotlout said, "I'm bored! I'm too smart for this stuff!" "Oh yeah?" Tuffnut said, "If you're so smart, then how come your dragon lost a roaring contest with that madman?" "Shut it, Tuff!" Snotlout shouted, "It's your fault we got caught in the first place!"

Hiccup sighed. This was going to take a while.

* * *

Luckily for Hiccup, the meeting had to be dismissed early due to some unlucky dragons getting caught in what remained of Drago's traps. He wasn't able to get over Draco's embarrassing rant that morning, though. He was hoping that Astrid hadn't heard any of it. Especially the part about the braids.

Hiccup had been longing to spend time with Astrid for a while, but was often held back by work around the village. He missed the days of it being just the two of them, in their teen years, with no responsibilities to worry about. And he knew for a fact that Astrid missed those days as well.

Maybe there was a way for him to make it up to her.

Draco took off running as soon as their house was in view. There was no way he'd miss the opportunity of seeing a Speed Stinger hatch from its egg. Hiccup sighed as he watched Draco run off.

Draco didn't stop until he reached the nesting site of the Speed Stingers. There was a single egg that had been laid in the nest of the Lead Stinger, and it was going to hatch soon. The young boy sat down, his eyes practically glued to the egg. He'd wait all day if he had to in order to see the egg hatch. Luckily for him, the Speed Stinger pack had been friendly towards the Haddocks ever since Mortem became the Alpha. The especially took interest in Draco, who was eager to learn how they lived and hunted for food. He was also thinking that he could find a way to train them. If there was anything that Draco hated more than bad people like Drago and Dagur, it was untrainable dragons. Maybe he could somehow train the Speed Stinger that hatched from this egg to show everyone that even untrainable dragons could be trained.

The Speed Stingers watched Draco with interest as the boy sat with his gaze never leaving the egg in the nest.

* * *

Hiccup practically stumbled into his home with Toothless beside him, in case he had to hold his friend up. Hiccup collapsed into a chair, Toothless crooning nervously. Hiccup sighed and ran a hand through his hair. If Astrid had heard Draco's embarrassing rant, he'd never hear the end of it. And he was sure that she wouldn't forgive him for not telling her the truth.

He had never actually told her that he didn't like her braiding his hair, but he didn't say that he loved it either. He didn't really say anything about how he felt about it, thinking that he might hurt her feelings. And now there was a chance that she had found out, and he knew for a fact that it would take more than a simple apology this time.

Toothless sat down as he watched his friend hang his head in embarrassment. He wanted to smile, but he knew that would only make his rider feel worse. He crooned softly before retreating into his special room, where his rock bed was.

Hiccup, for once, didn't pay attention to his retreating friend. There was a squawk from outside, and Hiccup knew that Astrid was home. There was no mistaking Stormfly's friendly croons and growls. He turned his head away at the sound of the door opening.

"Rough day?"

Hiccup had been expecting her to ask that. He shrugged. "It wasn't that bad." Astrid let Stormfly run past her to join Toothless in the Dragon Room before approaching her husband. The closer she got, the more nervous Hiccup felt. What if she had heard Draco's rant? "You know," Astrid said, grabbing a chair and sitting down next to him, "I happened to pass by the Great Hall this morning, and I happened to hear a few things." "What things?" Hiccup asked, trying not to sound panicked. Astrid shrugged. "Just something about braids." Hiccup groaned. She had heard it.

Astrid turned to look at him. "Care to explain why Draco was saying that?" she asked. Hiccup sighed. "Astrid, I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you, but I..." He paused, ashamed of not telling the truth before. Astrid raised an eyebrow. "But what?" Hiccup sighed before finishing. "I didn't want you to feel bad. I mean, you're always there to support me, and...I thought that if I told you, then..." He was cut off by Astrid hugging him. Stunned, Hiccup started to hug her back when she suddenly pulled out of the embrace and gently punched him in the arm. Well, gentler than usual. "You could have just told me," she said, "You didn't have to keep it a secret." Hiccup would've sighed again if he wasn't surprised by the sudden punch. "Guess I can't really keep anything from you, can I?" he asked. Astrid shook her head.

Hiccup lowered his gaze to the floor. It was true that he didn't like the braids, but he had actually gotten used to having them. Especially since they were most likely going to be a regular thing. He suddenly remembered that he had wanted to spend more time with Astrid, and realized that this could be his chance. He snapped back to reality when he felt a small tug on one of the braids. He didn't need to look up to know that it was Astrid. "I'm sorry," he muttered. He heard Astrid chuckle. "You don't need to apologize," she said. She tugged on the braid before letting go and taking his hand. Hiccup shook his head. "But I should have told you the first time." He started to pull his hand away, but Astrid tightened her grip. "I know that you're under a lot of pressure," she said, "But if you would listen to me..."

"I'm failing."

Astrid's expression changed to shock at what Hiccup had said. He sighed before continuing. "I'm still trying to get used to all of the work that has to be done around the village, and I can't spend as much time with my family. I want to spend more time with you, Astrid, but...somehow, I can't."

Astrid didn't say anything at first, since she was stunned, but she had an idea. "Then I won't speak," she said, "Just let me show you."

Hiccup's eyes instantly widened. He knew those words. Those were _his_ words. He looked up to see Astrid smiling at him. Realizing what she was doing, he nodded.

* * *

Hiccup and Toothless had missed flying above the clouds, with nothing but them and the open sky. And it had been a while since Astrid had joined them in their usual flights. And the moment couldn't be more perfect.

Now that he had gotten back on his dragon, with the love of his life behind him on the saddle, Hiccup could finally relax. It was just like he remembered, with the open sky and the sunshine reflecting off the top of the ocean. He had missed flying with his best friend. And now they could fly together again, with their worries behind them.

Astrid was happy to be spending time with Hiccup again. They had been through a lot together, and they both needed some time to reflect and relax. She could still remember when they were teens, and she'd do almost anything to relive those moments.

The late afternoon soon drifted away and was replaced with the early evening. The sun was beginning to set, lighting the sky with pink and orange, like a field of wildflowers. The calming winds had nearly put Toothless to sleep, and the black dragon soon turned back and headed to the cove in a daze. It didn't take long for them to get there, and as soon as Toothless landed, he fell asleep almost immediately. He hadn't been able to relax for a while, since he and Hiccup were always busy, and now he could finally take a nap without being woken up five minutes later.

Hiccup and Astrid both dismounted a slumbering Toothless and headed to the other side of the cove, so they wouldn't wake him up. When they were a far distance away, Hiccup turned to Astrid.

"Do you like me?"

Astrid stared at him in shock before smiling. She knew what he was up to. She gave him a gentle punch in the arm before replying. "Not really." Hiccup smiled back at her before pulling her into a hug. They had used the "L" word almost every day of their lives, but it never lost meaning. And they didn't care if they said it too often, for it was how they truly felt. Hiccup buried his face into Astrid's fur hood.

"I love you."

His words were muffled, but she still heard him.

"I love you too."

They pulled out of the embrace. Astrid reached down and pressed the button on Hiccup's flight suit that released the fin on his back. Hiccup chuckled as the fin popped out. "That's never going to get old, is it?" Astrid laughed in response. Hiccup sighed. "I'll take that as a 'no'." Still laughing, Astrid pulled him to her.

"Come here, you."

Hiccup was momentarily surprised, but he got over it quickly. They both leaned in for a kiss, meeting each other halfway.

On the other side of the cove, Toothless opened one of his eyes. He immediately noticed the two lovers and grumbled quietly. He shut his eye, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

Astrid and Hiccup paid no attention to the grumpy dragon, their attention was only on each other.

And it would be for a long while.

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait, but exams have finished, and I should be able to update more frequently. Yes, there will be more Hicstrid from this point forward, and some moments with the kids as well. Feel free to leave a review, if you want.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

**Now to see how Hic's parents are going to help him overcome his fears.**

* * *

Despite the fact the Hic had gotten past spending every day in his room, he still wouldn't go outside, no matter what. And that was a problem that Astrid and Hiccup had to fix. The question was how. Convincing Hic to leave the house was not going to be easy. But they had to do it. And Hiccup had an idea how.

Hic was hiding under the table and hugging Buttons when Hiccup and Astrid got back from their flight together. Camicazi was with Heather in the far corner, with the older woman reading to her from the Book of Dragons. Hiccup glanced at his son, deciding to put his idea into action. Taking a deep breath, he slowly approached the table before kneeling down to Hic's height. Hic didn't notice his father until he spoke in a gentle tone of voice, "Hey, buddy."

Hic was surprised by his father's appearance, but not scared. He'd never be scared of his father. Hiccup took the fact that Hic had not cowered or tried to run away as a good sign, and proceeded with his plan. "Are you feeling okay?" He asked. Hic only nodded. "Well, aren't you going to go out and play?" Hiccup asked. Hic shook his head. "Can you tell me why?" Hiccup asked gently. "I don't wanna get carried off again," Hic said quietly. His parents had already heard many times about how Toothless Jr. accidentally carried Hic off with him when he went to help Mortem find Hiccup. But Hiccup wasn't going to let that excuse stop him from getting Hic out into the world. He reached out and laid a hand on Hic's shoulder. "No one in the village is going to hurt you," he said in a soft, gentle voice. Hic glanced at him before looking away. But Hiccup wasn't giving up that easily. He pulled Hic out from under the table. The boy didn't struggle much, he only tightened his hold on Buttons. After making sure that Hic wasn't afraid or worried, Hiccup grabbed his son and lifted him up into his arms.

The next thing Hic knew, his father was carrying him towards the door. He gasped, and was instantly frozen with fear. He was too scared to struggle, so he could do nothing as Hiccup carried him outside the house.

Hic had not been outside in weeks, and he certainly didn't remember the village being overloaded with dragons. There were obviously more dragons than he thought there was, as many of them were perched on the roofs of over half the houses in the village, since there was no room for all of them in the plaza. He didn't notice the yellow Scuttleclaw baby staring at him until it gave a small squawk. Hic was surprised as the strange baby dragon was staring at him with its big eyes, and its focus didn't shift from the young boy, even when a large flock of dragons crowded around a Viking to be fed.

The baby Scuttleclaw sniffed Hic curiously, then gave a loud squawk and ran in a circle. Hiccup had also noticed the baby dragon, and laughed at the playful youngster. The Scuttleclaw calmed down and continued to observe Hic. "He's acting funny," the boy said quietly. Hiccup chuckled. "Yeah, he likes you." "Does he have a name?" Hic asked as he tried to hide Buttons from the curious Scuttleclaw. Hiccup shook his head. "I don't think so," he said, "You can name him if you want."

Hic was stunned. He actually got to pick a name for the dragon. He wasn't usually good with names, but he did have somewhat of an idea of what to call the youngster.

"Arluin."

The Scuttleclaw froze at the sound of his new name. He tilted his head, as if considering the name. Then he squawked and ran in a circle, clearly happy and pleased with the choice.

Hiccup was also satisfied with the name his son had given to the baby dragon. The Scuttlclaw had played a small, albeit important role in the final battle with Drago and Tyranno, and that took quite a lot of courage.

After about a minute of chasing his tail, Arluin calmed down and looked at Hic expectantly. Hic didn't notice his father setting him on the ground, as his attention was on the dragon. He did notice when the Scuttleclaw was somehow taller than he was. Hic was confused, and somewhat worried, but he calmed down when the dragon started to nuzzle him. Arluin nipped at the boy's hair and wrapped his tail around his midsection, giving as close as he could to a hug. Hic was surprised by the dragon's behavior, but he quickly got over it. This dragon actually made him feel _happy_. Was this what it was like to train dragons, and teach them to trust you? It must have been, because Hic realized that he loved dragons more than he thought he did. There were more dragons out there besides Night Furies.

And maybe someday, he'd learn to train all of them.

He didn't even mind when Arluin began sniffing Buttons. The little dragon had never seen a toy before, since he had spent most of his life in the Alpha's Nest. And now that he knew there were more places and things to explore, there was no way he'd be going back to the nest. Not while there were still so many things to learn about.

Hiccup watched as his son and the baby dragon bonded, smiling. Maybe now Hic would finally be wanting to go out and play more often. He suddenly heard the sound of small wings flapping, and turned to see Sharpshot flying toward him with a piece of paper tied around his leg. The Terrible Terror perched on Hiccup's shoulder as he untied the message from the dragon's leg and opened it. There were only two words written on the parcel:

_It's hatching._

* * *

Draco watched in excitement and impatience as the Speed Stinger egg wobbled, and cracks appeared on the surface. He barely noticed his father and younger brother join him as the egg started to split open. He did notice the yellow Scuttleclaw baby try to push past him to get a better look. Draco moved over to give the baby dragon room to see the egg, without a single complaint.

The Speed Stinger parents were also watching, with the mother chirping to her baby as it pushed its snout out of the eggshell. The baby chirped back to its mother, pushing away bits of eggshell in an attempt to see its parents for the first time. The mother Speed Stinger climbed into the nest and began biting off chunks of the egg to help her baby emerge into the world. The baby's eyes met its mother's as it climbed out of what was left of the egg and stumbled into the nest.

For the first time in his life, Draco was speechless. He had just seen a baby Speed Stinger hatch from its egg, which was something that no Viking had ever been able to do before. He forgot all about the Book of Dragons as he watched the baby's parents clean him and hold him close. Draco somehow managed to finally voice his thoughts on what he had just seen.

"He's beautiful."

Hiccup smiled and laid a hand on Draco's shoulder. "It kind of reminds me of you guys," he said. Draco gave a slight nod to show his father that he had heard him. "Can I name him?" he asked. Hiccup shrugged. "Sure," he said, "What do you want to name him?" Draco thought for a minute before coming up with the perfect name.

"Zippo."

"I like it," Hic said quietly. The Lead Stinger gave a chirp of approval of his new son's name. Hiccup chuckled. "Zippo it is."

Baby Zippo was confused about all of the noise, and tried to hide behind his mother. Zippo's mother noticed his fear and curled her tail around him. careful not to poke him with her stinger. Hiccup sighed. "I think we should give them some time," he said as he backed away quietly, so he wouldn't disturb the new family. Draco nodded and followed his father, with Arluin close behind.

Zippo was oblivious to the departing of the small group as he yawned and stretched out for a nap.

* * *

**New baby dragons, and Hic is finally going out of the house! Excited! Now, should I do a time skip? You all can vote via a review!**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

**Time skip!**

* * *

It was a week before Hic's fifth birthday, and the village of Berk had improved in visuals and guarding. The dragons from the Alpha's Nest had been trained to take turns patrolling the island day and night. Hic had grown a bit, and was now playing outside almost every day. But he spent more time with his siblings and the dragons than he did with any of the other people in the village.

At least, until the day he met Unn.

Hic was petting and playing with an almost fully grown Arluin when he heard an unfamiliar voice.

"I've never seen a dragon like that before."

Hic froze for a second before turning to see a young girl, around his age, standing nearby. She had blonde hair that flowed freely, without a braid, and her eyes were a bright blue. Hic shrugged. "Not many people are familiar with Scuttleclaws," he said, patting Arluin on the nose. "Can I pet him?" the girl asked. Hic nodded. The girl approached Arluin without hesitating, and pet his nose. "His name's Arluin," Hic said, "He's really friendly." "I can see that," the girl replied as she pet the dragon. She suddenly stopped and turned to face Hic. "Where are my manners? Hi, I'm Unn." She held out a hand, expecting a handshake. But Hic gazed at the ground. "Are you okay?" Unn asked. Hic sighed. "I really shouldn't make friends with people who won't be staying for very long," he said, "They'll just end up moving away, and I probably won't see them again." "Actually, my parents and I are planning to live here," Unn said.

Hic looked up at her. "You are?" Unn nodded. "I heard your parents say to my parents that Berk is a lot safer to live in, since there are so many dragons that are willing to protect people," she said, "But I didn't hear much about what the people were like. So, what's your name?" Hic had almost forgot to introduce himself. "My name's Hic. It's short for Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Fourth." "Makes sense," Unn replied, "Your dad's Hiccup the Third, right?" Hic nodded. "So, do you wanna play?" Unn asked. Hic shrugged. "Sure, I guess." Unn smiled. "Okay, you're it!" She tapped him on the arm and ran away.

"Hey!" Hic shouted as he ran after her, "No fair! I wasn't ready!" Unn just laughed and continued to run. "Not very fast, huh?" Hic huffed and puffed as he tried to catch up. Unn was definitely a faster runner than he thought. Unn laughed as she turned a corner, but suddenly stopped. She could see Mortem and Fera examining a purple Stormcutter with a limp wing. Unn's gaze was stuck on the dragons, she didn't even turn towards the sound of heavy breathing.

Hic trudged up to the girl, and placed his hand on her back. "Tag. You're...it." He sighed. "Goodnight," he muttered before slumping to the ground. Unn didn't even glance at him as she watched Mortem help the Stormcutter climb into his snout. "Is that Mortem?" she asked. Hic looked up at her. "Yeah," he said, picking himself off the ground and watching his adopted brother. "He and Fera are helping that Stormcutter. She got hurt a few days ago, and can't fly." "I heard our parents talk about Mortem a lot," Unn said, "But I didn't think I'd be seeing him in person."

Hic was really nervous now. He'd never talked to or played with a person he didn't know for this long, especially a girl. After making sure no one was looking, he said to Unn, "I have to go now." He started to walk off, but he stopped when he heard Unn say "Goodbye." He looked back at her and waved before running off.

* * *

Hic didn't stop until he got home. He made a beeline for his room, where he found Buttons on his bed, where he had left him. He grabbed the stuffed dragon and hugged him close. He had resolved to only hugging the toy whenever he felt upset or uncomfortable. But that didn't mean he didn't love it. Buttons had been one of the only forms of comfort he had as a small child, and even though he had gotten older, he still relied on the stuffed toy for comfort. It was true, he did take a liking to the new girl, but they had only just met. He didn't know anything about her, and yet, she had oblidged to be his friend. Was this how Mortem felt when he first met Fera?

Hic had been conversing with his adopted brother, up to the point where Mortem began telling him about meeting Fera's father Benignus at the original Alpha's Nest. He knew how uncomfortable Mortem had been with Fera at first, but somehow he grew to love her. But Hic knew for a fact that he was too young for that to happen with him and Unn. He didn't even know if he liked her, friend or more. After all, he'd only just met her. He perked up at the sound of his father returning home. Still holding on to Buttons, Hic quietly walked out into the hall and listened to what his parents had to discuss.

"You're home early," Astrid stated. Hic moved a bit further down the hall so he could hear better. "There really wasn't much to do this morning," he heard his father say, "Other than the new villagers arriving and settling in their new home, it was pretty much uneventful." Hic knew that they were talking about Unn and her family, but he hadn't even bothered to ask Unn where she and her parents were living. He almost didn't hear his mother make a suggestion to Hiccup. "If you're off the rest of the day, we could go on a flight." "That would depend on whether or not something will come up at the last minute," Hiccup said, "Really bites too. Do they even mind that I'm trying not to get caught up in meaningless fights that happen every other day?" Hic could tell from the tone of his father's voice that he was being sarcastic. Hic never quite understood sarcasm, as to him it seemed almost like lying. And his father would never tell him a lie.

At least, that's what he hoped.

Hic wasn't sure how long he stayed there listening, but he was surprised to hear what Astrid said next. "Hic, I know you're there." Eyes widening, Hic slowly walked out into the open, where both of his parents were sitting at the table. "How'd you know I was there?" Hic asked, as quietly and politely as he could. Astrid shrugged. "Mother's instinct." Hiccup glanced at his wife. "Astrid, he was casting a shadow." Hic had left the door to his room open, and the sunlight pouring through the window had caused his shadow to give him away. Hic hung his head, ashamed. Astrid sighed before leaving her seat and lifting her son up and setting him in a nearby chair. Hic tried not to mind being lifted, but he was still embarrassed about getting caught. He slowly raised his eyes to meet his father's.

Hiccup wasn't surprised or upset that his youngest son had dropped in on the conversation. He was proud that he was actually taking an interest in something that wasn't related to dragons in any way. "Hic, have you met the new residents?" Hiccup asked. Hic shrugged before stating, "I met Unn this morning, but we didn't really do much." Hiccup nodded. "She's a very nice girl," he said, "But she does tend to talk quite a bit." "She likes to play too," Hic said, "She can run very fast, she's like a human Speed Stinger." Hiccup chuckled. "The best way to get faster is to run more often," he said. Hic shrugged, he had already known that. "She saw Mortem helping that Stormcutter with the broken wing," he said, trying to change the subject. When Hiccup didn't say anything, he added, "When will she get better?" Hiccup shrugged. "Not sure, buddy. Hopefully soon."

Hic took this as his cue to leave. He pushed himself off the chair and began to walk back to his room, where Toothless Jr. and Starflight had gone to wait for him. But he didn't get very far before Astrid kneeled down and pulled him in for a hug. Hic dropped Buttons on the floor to hug her back properly. Astrid smiled as Hiccup got out of his seat and kneeled down to join them.

Hic had never been hugged by both of his parents at the same time. It was new, but he liked the way it made him feel. It was warm, comforting, and it made him feel safe. It was almost impossible for him to feel afraid while in the embrace of his loving parents, and he completely forgot about his fear and anxiety. He felt his mother kiss him lightly on his forehead before whispering, "We love you." Hic snuggled further into his parents' embrace, trying not to cry.

"I love you too."

After a long, tender moment, Hic hesitantly pulled out of the warm embrace, and leaned down to pick up Buttons. He avoided making eye contact with his parents and he hurried back to his room. He cheered up a bit at the sight of Toothless Jr. and Starflight lying on his bed, waiting to play with him.

* * *

Camicazi had grown not only in strength, but in beauty as well. She was still young, but she surpassed others of her age in combat, especially with an axe. Although she had to get replacement axes as she got older, they all worked for her equally well. People would often say that she was an almost exact duplicate of Astrid, which was somewhat true.

Camicazi focused her gaze on the wooden post her father had set up for her to practice her axe-throwing with. It had taken nearly forever to convince him that she was ready to try it, since he was always one to fear for one's safety, especially a loved one. She took a breath before taking aim. She was about to throw the axe, when a scaly being zipped past her, almost making her lose her balance. She regained her posture with ease and was about to throw the axe again when she heard her twin brother's voice.

"That was amazing, Zippo!"

Camicazi groaned in frustration. "What is he doing?!" Grumbling to herself, she stomped over to see Draco and Hic playing with and petting Zippo, Starflight, and Tothless Jr. "Could you keep it down?!" she shouted, "You guys ruin everything! I am trying to practice the art of axe-throwing. And I don't want to be bothered by your little games!" "Not so little anymore," Draco said with a smile, "Zippo's moving so fast, even I'm having trouble following him!" The juvenile Speed Stimger let out a chirp of excitement. "Just keep it down!" Camicazi yelled before stomping back over to her practicing post.

"What's up with her?" Hic asked his older brother as he watched his sister stomp off." "Wish I knew," Draco replied, "She's been like that since our birthday." "When she got the post?" Hic asked. "When she got the post," Draco confirmed.

Hic made a note to himself to stay out of his sister's way while she was in a bad mood. For he would need to if he wanted to have a decent birthday this year.

* * *

**So sorry it's been so long, I've been swamped with homework! And can I say I'm getting a little tired of it? Because I am! Anyway, I hope you guys don't mind the little time skip. Don't know how many more chapters this story will have, I'm still trying to work out the rest of the details. Plus I've been having trouble coming up with names and ideas for possible sequel, so could any of you guys lend me a hand? At least a few small suggestions, or something. I hope I'm not asking to much.**

**Looks like I'm rambling again. I do that sometime.**

**Review Plz!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

**Some bonding and other stuff that might be important.**

* * *

"So, I heard your birthday's coming up."

Hic had left for the forest with Unn that morning, and the two of them had stopped to rest underneath a tall tree. Hic gave a slight nod at what Unn said. "Are you going to be doing anything special?" Unn asked. Hic shook his head. "My parents know that I don't like being around a lot of people," he said, "Especially people I don't know." "So, I'm guessing you won't be having a big party or anything," Unn said, trying to hide her disappointment. Hic noticed her tone of disappointment and realized that Unn really liked being around big groups of people. He wasn't surprised, since she was almost always in the mood for a game or two. Unlike him, as he normally liked hanging out with his dragon friends.

Unn sat down on the opposite side of the tree. "Y'know, you don't really talk much," she said, "Not that I mind, but are you afraid of talking to people?" Hic thought for a minute before replying, "No." Unn shrugged. "Then why don't you talk much?" she asked. Hic sighed. "I don't know," he muttered. Realizing that she might be putting pressure on him, Unn decided not to question Hic any further. Taking note of her silence, Hic thought for a minute before he continued. "I guess I'm not really much of a people person, if you know what I mean." Unn didn't say anything, she only nodded. Hic checked to see if she was still there before continuing. "I've been more connected to dragons than people, and I often get nervous when I'm around someone I don't know. I've tried to be the best I could, but I can't. I admit it, when I first met you, I was terrified. But you were so nice to me...No one's ever tried to talk to me before, and...somehow...I appreciate that."

Unn felt the urge to turn around and hug him. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. Usually, people would complain about her talking too much. But Hic, he appreciated her talking to him. He had spent most of his time alone, and as much as he seemed to enjoy it, he did feel lonely, since the dragons couldn't talk back to him. Unn smiled at the thought of them being friends. She always did like being around people, especially those her own age. She turned to the sound of footsteps to see Draco heading towards their tree. "It's dinnertime," the older boy said, nodding to both of them. Hic sighed. "We'll be right there," he said. Draco nodded before turning to leave. Hic and Unn both stood up and started to follow Draco. But Hic failed to see the tree root sticking up from the ground before it was too late. He gave out a yell as he tripped, his left ankle twisting as he fell to the ground.

Unn heard her friend yell, and turned to see Hic lying on the ground, clutching his ankle, his face twisted in pain. "Are you okay?" she asked, worried. "I don't know," Hic said as he tried to stand up. He winced as he put pressure on his ankle and lowered himself to the ground. "Is everything okay?" "No," Unn shouted back, "Hic hurt his foot and can't walk!" Draco's expression went from concerned to panic. "I'll go get Mom and Dad!" he shouted before he ran off in the direction of the village.

Unn went back for Hic, who was nearly crippling. She kneeled down and gently hugged him. Hic barely noticed her. He was too busy trying to ignore the pain. His eyes were filling with tears. Unn didn't like to see people crying. "It's okay, you'll be alright." Hic shook his head. "You don't understand," he started to say. "I know it hurts," Unn said, cutting him off, "But Draco's going to get your parents. You'll be okay." Hic shook his head. "My dad...he said...he went to fight Mortem's mother when they took Toothless...they managed to defeat her, but he...he...he lost his leg!"

Unn froze, wide-eyed at what Hic revealed to her. Hic started sobbing. "I never heard how Hiccup lost his leg," Unn confessed, "But why does that scare you?" "It was his left leg," Hic said, gripping his wounded ankle, "And he didn't say how he lost it." "So you're afraid that you'll lose one too," Unn said. Hic nodded. Unn turned her gaze to the ground. "I sometimes get irrationally scared of things too," she confessed. Hic looked at her, a little less upset than he was earlier. "What of?" he asked. "Sometimes, when my parents leave me at home," Unn replied, "I worry that they won't come back." "But why?" Hic asked. Unn shrugged. "I don't really know. But when they come back, I know everything's going to be okay." Hic gave his friend a small smile. "Thanks, Unn." He reached up to wipe his tears. Unn hesitated before gently hugging him.

Hic was surprised in the least. He hadn't expected that. But he eventually got over his shock and hugged her back. It made him feel warm inside, and his fear and pain were swept away like a leaf in a twister. Unn smiled when she felt Hic hug her. He needed the comfort.

* * *

Hic woke up in his room, in his bed. His first thought was that it had all been a dream, but when he sat up, he felt his ankle burn with pain. He pulled the blanket off of himself to see his foot wrapped in bandages. He soon realized that he had somehow fallen asleep while Unn hugged him. His parents must have taken him to the healer's while he was asleep, so his ankle would be treated. He heard talking in the hallway, and quietly climbed out of bed to listen in on what was going on.

"Have you noticed that Camicazi isn't acting like herself lately?"

Hic recognized that voice as his father's. And there was little doubt he was talking to Astrid.

"Our son just tripped and hurt his ankle, and you're worried about Camicazi?"

Yep. Definitely Astrid.

"Think about it. She hasn't been herself since you guys got her the axe-throwing target."

Hic knew that voice belonged to Heather.

"Just because you help us take care of them doesn't mean you have to direct our attention to just one of them," Astrid said. Hic could tell from the tone of her voice how annoyed she was. "Heather's actually got a point," Hiccup said. "Who's side are you on?" Astrid asked, clearly more annoyed than before. "I'm not on anyone's side," Hiccup said, "I'm just saying that Heather might be on to something."

Hic did not know why Camicazi was acting more violent and tough either, but he was hoping there was something he could do to help.

Hiccup sighed. "Maybe I should talk to my mom," he said. "She doesn't know everything about our children," Astrid said, now much calmer than before. "But maybe she can help us," Hiccup said, "We have to try." "He's right," Heather said, "This could be our only chance. If Camicazi won't tell us why she's acting this way, then we need to find out for ourselves."

Hic decided that he had heard enough, and quietly went back to bed.

* * *

Camicazi had also been listening in on the conversation. She was fully aware of the way she had been acting, but even she did not know why she was being so tough and violent around other people. She loved the gift, she really did. But she seemed to be putting her training before her own family. She had yelled at her brothers, for Thor's sake!

_If acting like my normal self again means that I lose my axe,_ Camicazi thought to herself, _Then that's a risk I have to take._

She was going to improve her attitude.

No matter what.

* * *

**It's not my best, but I'm kinda low on ideas. The next update might take longer, but hopefully it'll be better. I'm leaving up to all of you as to what I should have happen next, so leave me a review stating your suggestion.**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19:

**Hopefully this won't be too dull for you guys. And what happened to the big number of reviews that I used to get?**

* * *

When Hic woke up on his birthday the following week, the first thing he noticed was that he had a death grip on Buttons. Normally, he would have worried about what the other kids thought about him actually sleeping with the stuffed dragon, but hanging out with Unn had made him more confident. Feeling comfortable and safe with Buttons, Hic decided to rest in a little more. At least until everyone else was out of bed.

Hic's parents knew well enough how uncomfortable he was around other people, and decided that he could decide how he wanted to celebrate his birthday. Hic was a little worried about how that idea would turn out. He didn't want to make a mess of things. That was the last thing he would want to have happen.

Hic snapped out of his thoughts when he felt a large body press up against him. Toothless Jr. had been sleeping with him ever since they had started hanging out together again. Hic wasn't one to complain, but the bed did get kinda crowded whenever the dragon joined him. But even he couldn't pass on a chance to hang out or bond with one of his best friends.

A sharp pain reminded Hic that his ankle still hadn't fully healed. He wasn't supposed to walk while his ankle was healing, which meant that he'd have to spend the entire day on dragonback. Not that he minded, but the sequence was getting really old, and fast. He felt vulnerable whenever he needed someone else to do things for him, but even he knew when to ask for help when he needed it.

Toothless Jr. must have realized that he was awake, because Hic felt a tug on the back of his shirt, and in an instant, he was on the dragon's back. Hic sighed. "I appreciate the help," he said, "But could you have waited a few more minutes?" Toothless Jr. did his version of a shrug before trotting out of the room. He stopped in the middle of the hallway, waiting for Hic to tell him where to go. Hic gave out a loud sigh before pointing in the direction of the main entryway. Toothless Jr. obliged to carry his friend to the area before sitting down in the middle of the room. "I still could have used a few more minutes of sleep," Hic complained. The black dragon grumbled as he lowered himself to the floor, allowing Hic to stretch out on his back and drift off to sleep.

* * *

Hic woke up later to the sound of his siblings walking into the room. He quickly straightened himself, trying to look important while he sat on Toothless Jr.'s back. Draco was the first to notice his younger brother on the black dragon.

"Happy Birthday."

Hic nodded in thanks. Camicazi walked past them and sat down at the table. She looked very unhappy. "What's wrong?" Hic asked. Camicazi hung her head. "I haven't been very nice to you two lately," she said, "And I'm really sorry." "I'm just wondering why you were acting like that," Draco replied. Camicazi shrugged. "I don't know what I was thinking," she said, "I never should have acted that way." "Are Mom and Dad awake yet?" Hic asked suddenly. "They're probably just talking," Draco said, "They usually do that every morning. Why?" "Just wondering," Hic said, shrugging.

* * *

As Draco guessed, Hiccup and Astrid were awake, and surprisingly, they were talking. That is, if you count exchanging a few words here and there. Hiccup was putting on and adjusting his flight suit while Astrid, who was already dressed, sat on the bed and watched him.

"Has it really been seven years?" Hiccup asked. He had been reflecting back to the adventures he and Astrid had together, and it was hard for him to believe how much time had gone by since Day One. "Believe it or not, it has," Astrid replied. Hiccup checked to make sure his flight suit was on straight before joining his wife, taking a seat on the bed next to her.

"Thank you."

Astrid looked surprised. "You don't have to thank me for anything," she said. Hiccup shook his head and took Astrid's hand in his. "You've given me more than I could ever ask for," he said, "You have no idea how grateful I am. You've been my biggest supporter, especially with what's been going on for the past couple of years. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Astrid was used to Hiccup's frequent expressions of love and appreciation for her, but she'd never expected him to do anything like that. It was true, if she had not been there, they wouldn't have had everything they had now. Mortem was living a happy, helpful life because of them. Draco, Camicazi and Hic happened because of them. They had done it all together. Astrid smiled at her husband, giving his hand a loving squeeze. Hiccup took this as a sign to embrace her, which he did. And he had no intention of letting go. Not after everything they had been through together. Now, if someone had said seven years ago that the two of them would be married with children, they wouldn't have believed it. But here they were, together, as they were always meant to be. Hiccup nuzzled his face into the crook of Astrid's neck and kissed her.

"I love you, Astrid."

His voice was slightly muffled, but she still heard him.

"I love you too, Hiccup."

Neither of them noticed Hic and Toothless Jr. watching them from the hallway. They had gone to see what had been keeping them. The young boy was used to his parents' frequent confessions of love, but he always looked away whenever they kissed. Deciding that they had seen enough, Hic steered his friend back to the main entryway. Not long after they left, Hiccup and Astrid pulled away and leaned in for a kiss.

* * *

The rest of the day turned out great for Hic. Not only was his ankle almost fully healed, but he managed to take Unn with him on a ride through the village. They reasoned to stay on the ground to give Unn more time to get used to riding on dragonback. Toothless Jr. was happy to see his rider-to-be making a new friend, and could somehow tell that they'd eventually grow closer to one another.

Hic had not asked for much for his birthday, only that it wouldn't turn into a disaster. But if there was one thing he knew, he had gotten more than he ever needed.

Just as long as his friends and family were beside him.

It was sunset when Hic and Unn arrived back home. Unn dismounted Toothless Jr. and looked up at her friend. "That was so cool," she said, "We should do stuff like that more often!" "I wish I could," Hic said, "But I have to wait until Gothi says I can walk again." "That shouldn't be too long," Unn said, "You're almost done healing already." She then started walking back in the direction of the village. "I have to go home now," she said, "My mom and dad will be wondering where I am. Bye, Hic!" She took off running, with Hic watching her until he couldn't see her anymore. He suddenly felt a large warm breeze on his neck, and turned to see Mortem looking down at him, smiling with his eyes narrowed. There was a warble, and Hic looked down to see Toothless Jr. looking at him the same way as Mortem. Hic rolled his eyes.

"What are you looking at?"

* * *

_Raising a child isn't always easy._

_But with all that they can learn from you, and how they use that knowledge will be worth it in the end._

_Hic learned a lot from me and Astrid._

_And he is definitely no exception._

* * *

**I'm sorry that I have to do this, but it's the end of the story! Don't worry, though I'm planning one or two more of them, and I'm open to taking some suggestions from you guys. I'll be back before you know it, so leave me some reviews!**


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